Tag Archives: The Daily Trope

Inter se pugnantia

Posted on August 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

Inter se pugnantia (in’-ter-say-pug-nan’-ti-a): Using direct address to reprove someone before an audience, pointing out the contradictions in that person’s character, often between what a person does and says.

He says he’s a leader, but the plutocrats pull his strings. He says he’s a peacemaker, but we’re mired in wars. He says he’s our friend, but he spies on us all. He says he loves his neighbor, but he lives in a fortress.

Puppet. Warmonger. Traitor. Liar.

What can we do?

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Scesis Onomaton

Posted on February 7, 2013 | Leave a comment

Scesis Onomaton (ske’-sis o-no’-ma-ton): 1. A sentence constructed only of nouns and adjectives (typically in a regular pattern).  2. A series of successive, synonymous expressions.

1. Wild nights, bleary mornings, sunburned days. Spring break !

2. I have your best interests close to my heart. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. The sky’s the limit. Just ask.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Polyptoton

Posted on February 5, 2013 | Leave a comment

Polyptoton (po-lyp-to’-ton): Repeating a word, but in a different form. Using a cognate of a given word in close proximity.

Lovers love loving and being loved.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Epistrophe

Posted on February 3, 2013 | Leave a comment

Epistrophe (e-pis’-tro-fee): Ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words.

It’s cold today. The bills are due today. I’ve got to do my laundry today. My cat is driving me nuts today. Why can’t tomorrow be today, today?

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Aporia

Posted on September 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

Aporia (a-po’-ri-a): Deliberating with oneself as though in doubt over some matter; asking oneself (or rhetorically asking one’s hearers) what is the best or appropriate way to approach something [=diaporesis].

How should we approach immigration reform?

Amnesty for all?

Build a wall?

Let’s just say US immigration policy needs an overhaul!

Hey–we should give Joe Arpaio a call!

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

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Epanorthosis

Posted on September 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Epanorthosis (ep-an-or-tho’-sis): Amending a first thought by altering it to make it stronger or more vehement.

Trying to understand what’s going on in the world by consuming social media is like trying to cross a busy intersection while you’re spinning around in circles! No–it’s WORSE than that! It’s like running into a burning building to save your life!

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Ampliatio

Posted on June 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Ampliatio (am’-pli-a’-ti-o): Using the name of something or someone before it has obtained that name or after the reason for that name has ceased. A form of epitheton.

Even though he’s 45 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 240 pounds, I still call him Skinny Boy. It isn’t about his age or his height and weight, it’s about Skinny Boy and the great times we had as kids–back when, if he turned sideways and stuck out his tongue, he looked like a zipper!

. . .

Hey, Skinny Boy,  it’s great to see you again after all these years–high school was insane! What’ve you been up to? You put on a few pounds!

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Mesozeugma

Posted on May 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

Mesozeugma (me’-so-zyoog’-ma): A zeugma in which one places a common verb for many subjects in the middle of a construction.

The lunar eclipse was beautiful; the soft sound of the dan bau, the night sky, your gentle smile too. 

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Epiplexis

Posted on May 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Epiplexis (e-pi-plex’-is): Asking questions in order to chide, to express grief, or to inveigh. A kind of rhetorical question.

What kind of idiot are you? Didn’t you realize that you’d get hurt if you used my chainsaw blindfolded? Where did you get the idea that doing what your stupid so-called friends dare you to do is the right thing to do? You’re lucky to be alive. I hope your foot heals soon.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

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Thaumasmus

Posted on May 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Thaumasmus (thau-mas’-mus): To marvel at something rather than to state it in a matter of fact way.

It is totally amazing that Mitt Romney was ever the Bain of anybody’s existence. Thousands of workers fired? Come on, he’s such a smiley, well-groomed guy.  I’d trust him with your life.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Onomatopoeia

Posted on May 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Onomatopoeia (on-o-mat-o-pee’-a): Using or inventing a word whose sound imitates that which it names (the union of phonetics and semantics).

Mush! Coosh! We eat it so fast our hands go swoosh! Mmmmm.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Sarcasmus

Posted on May 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

Sarcasmus (sar’-kaz-mus): Use of mockery, verbal taunts, or bitter irony.

Those Greeks sure know how to manage their money–nothing beats double-triple-minus-∞ junk bond status as a testament to Greece’s brilliance at managing its finances.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Astrothesia

Posted on May 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Astrothesia (as-tro-the’-si-a): A vivid description of stars. One type of enargia.

In some story of ancient origins, stars are holes that let out a dreamy light to still our spinning thoughts and send us off to dream underneath the blanket of night.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Optatio

Posted on May 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

Optatio (op-ta’-ti-o): Expressing a wish, often ardently.

Child: Mommy! I wish I had an iPad–one of the new ones. Mommy, please buy me an iPad. Please Mommy! Please! Please! Please!

Mother: No.

Child: I hate you. I wish you were dead.

Mother: You’re grounded.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetorica” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Catacosmesis

Posted on May 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

Catacosmesis (kat-a-kos-mees’-is): Ordering words from greatest to least in dignity, or in correct order of time.

Birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age. Life’s phases narrate time.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Hypozeuxis

Posted on May 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hypozeuxis  (hyp-o-zook’-sis): Opposite of zeugma. Every clause has its own verb.

Last night the sweaty Indiana campaign crowd cheered, the winning candidate smiled and waved, and Lugar’s legacy was demolished, flattened, paved over.  And today, on that great flat expanse, the fleet of shiny new 2013 Conservative Avengers (made in USA) is lined up in a row in accord with the giant red, white, and blue sign at the entrance:

Park to the Far Right or Be Towed

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Allegory

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

Allegory (al’-le-go-ry): A sustained metaphor continued through whole sentences or even through a whole discourse.

Prince Mite Yenmor looked out from his mountain lair across the Lake of Salt and saw the Untied States, and feeling in his slender royal gut a yen for more, with gleaming eyes and snow capped teeth he spoke: “Yea, I shall be ruler of this realm. I shall spend more than a fortune in gold and I shall buy a troop of low-browed voting sluggards, and inflaming their hearts, I shall make them thirst for justice, and so,  as they so-thirst, I shall call them by the proud name of their beverage of choice–The Mighty 7 Ups, The Bud Lite Brigade, or, oh yes, that’s it!  The Lipton Lancers! That shall suit them to a tea! Ha ha, my royal sense of humor waxes!”

And so, Prince Yenmor bought and named the Lipton Lancers and set out to quench the Lancers’ thirst for justice and topple King Amabo with a mighty loud and raucous chorus of finely penned insults, oft repeated BIG LIES, and the jewel in the crown of Prince Yenmor’s certain victory: the unyielding allegiance of Sir Fox the Crier who broadcast Yenmor’s nice hair, good posture, glorious smile, and royal words throughout the Untied States.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Oxymoron

Posted on May 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

Oxymoron (ox-y-mo’-ron): Placing two ordinarily opposing terms adjacent to one another. A compressed paradox.

He is cunningly ingenuous with the rolled up sleeves of his shirt and the “Aw shucks howdy do” as he reaches out to shake hands with you. But the shirt is tailor made, and so is the handshake–tailor made to make you think he’s “just like you” so a vote for him is a vote for you too!

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Apagoresis

Posted on May 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

Apagoresis (a-pa-gor’-e-sis): A statement designed to inhibit someone from doing something. Often uses exaggeration [or hyperbole] to persuade. It may combine an exaggeration with a cause/effect or antecedent/consequence relationship. The consequences or effects of such a phrase are usually exaggerated to be more convincing.  

Keep riding that motorcycle and some day you’ll be a red skid mark on the asphalt, or, if you’re lucky, a comatose stick in a hospital bed.

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Definitions courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

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Antimetabole

Posted on May 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

Antimetabole (an’-ti-me-ta’-bo-lee): Repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order.

Ham and cheese. Cheese and ham. It doesn’t matter how you stack ’em, they’re gonna be a sandwich, man!

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Merismus

Posted on November 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

Merismus (mer-is’-mus): The dividing of a whole into its parts.

The most advantageous plan has six key ingredients: money, more money, lots more money, money, money, money. Get it? It’s going to take money–a whole lot of money to do it right.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Merismus

Posted on February 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

Merismus (mer-is’-mus): The dividing of a whole into its parts.

This plan has two key parts: its costs and its benefits. First, let’s take a look at its costs.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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Simile

Posted on January 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Simile (si’-mi-lee): An explicit comparison, often (but not necessarily) employing “like” or “as.”

Truth is like an endless tube of toothpaste–the more you squeeze it, the more you get out of it.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Comparatio

Posted on January 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

Comparatio (com-pa-ra’-ti-o): A general term for a comparison, either as a figure of speech or as an argument. More specific terms are generally employed, such as metaphor, simile, allegory, etc.

Your bedroom looks like a cross between a Salvation Army collection bin and a Dunkin’ Donuts dumpster. Please clean it up before you go to the movies tonight.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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Prolepsis

Posted on December 6, 2010 | Leave a comment

Prolepsis (pro-lep’-sis):  (1) A synonym for procatalepsis [refuting anticipated objections];  (2) speaking of something future as though already done or existing. A figure of anticipation.

1. They’re going to say we don’t have the competence or depth of commitment to make this plan succeed. Well, we say that we’ve never yet undertaken a project that we didn’t have the brains to carry through to successful completion. We’re not in the business of proposing to do things that we’re unable to do!  As far as commitment is concerned–we’ve been at this for the past 5 years, forging ahead and making good things happen for this organization.  Given our steady 5-year track record, we don’t think it’s too hard to believe we’re dedicated to the cause and that our resolve is unwavering. Bottom line: same old reservations, same old show them that they’re wrong!

2. The die is cast. There’s no turning back. Tomorrow is tomorrow, but today might as well be tomorrow. It’s all over.

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Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu). Bracketed text added by Gorgias.

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