I like words. If I didn't, I wouldn't have chosen to become a writer as my occupation. And while choosing your words carefully is important, words can also be fun. Some words are fun to say and other can have fun meanings. Oxymorons fall into this last category. For those of you not familiar with oxymorons, the dictionary defines it as "A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction with each other." Oxymorons can also be referred to as a paradox. Writers have used them for centuries as a way of describing "life's inherent conflicts and incongruities." In speech, they can lend a sense of humor, irony, and even sarcasm. Common examples might be jumbo shrimp. falsely true, a living death, cruel kindness, etc.
Even the word oxymoron is oxymoronic itself. Let me explain. The word is derived from two Greek words. The first, "oxys" means sharp while the second word, "moronos" means dull or stupid. This is to say that both parts of the word are contradictory in nature. A "minor crisis" is a phrase that we often use and is a prime example of an oxymoron. Only choice is another common oxymoron that, when broken down, shows contradiction. Do you have a choice, meaning two or more, options or is there only one? It isn't a choice if you have only one, right? You get the idea.
Here's a list of some of my favorite oxymorons.
Alone together
Awful good
Bittersweet
Clearly misunderstood
Civil war
Crash landing
Deafening silence
Deceptively honest
Exact estimate
Freezer burn
Friendly takeover
Good grief
Icy hot
Lead balloon
Living end
Loosely sealed
Loyal opposition
Open secret
Original copy
Paper tablecloth
Plastic glasses
Poor health
Random order
Resident alien
Sad smile
Same difference
Small crowd
Steel wool
Student teacher
Terribly good
Unbiased opinion
Wise fool
Working vacation
How many of these terms do you use regularly? I bet you can think of am bunch more, as well. Oxymorons are difficult to understand for those who are just learning English. But once English students become fluent, it's easy for them to recognize oxymorons for the figure of speech that they are. As the textbook author Richard Watson Todd said, "The true beauty of oxymorons is that, unless we sit back and really think, we happily accept them as normal English."
That does it for me today. Please stop back by tomorrow for a review of my weekly lesson with The Dharma Frog. Until we meet again, I wish you
PEACE.
Even the word oxymoron is oxymoronic itself. Let me explain. The word is derived from two Greek words. The first, "oxys" means sharp while the second word, "moronos" means dull or stupid. This is to say that both parts of the word are contradictory in nature. A "minor crisis" is a phrase that we often use and is a prime example of an oxymoron. Only choice is another common oxymoron that, when broken down, shows contradiction. Do you have a choice, meaning two or more, options or is there only one? It isn't a choice if you have only one, right? You get the idea.
Here's a list of some of my favorite oxymorons.
Alone together
Awful good
Bittersweet
Clearly misunderstood
Civil war
Crash landing
Deafening silence
Deceptively honest
Exact estimate
Freezer burn
Friendly takeover
Good grief
Icy hot
Lead balloon
Living end
Loosely sealed
Loyal opposition
Open secret
Original copy
Paper tablecloth
Plastic glasses
Poor health
Random order
Resident alien
Sad smile
Same difference
Small crowd
Steel wool
Student teacher
Terribly good
Unbiased opinion
Wise fool
Working vacation
How many of these terms do you use regularly? I bet you can think of am bunch more, as well. Oxymorons are difficult to understand for those who are just learning English. But once English students become fluent, it's easy for them to recognize oxymorons for the figure of speech that they are. As the textbook author Richard Watson Todd said, "The true beauty of oxymorons is that, unless we sit back and really think, we happily accept them as normal English."
That does it for me today. Please stop back by tomorrow for a review of my weekly lesson with The Dharma Frog. Until we meet again, I wish you
PEACE.
Nordquist, Richard. "100 Awfully Good Examples of Oxymorons." ThoughtCo, Dec. 4, 2018, thoughtco.com/awfully-good-examples-of-oxymorons-1691814.
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