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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Oxymorons

I haven't posted a word game in a while!

Remember pleonasms?...those redundant phrases like 'tuna fish' or 'actual experience'?

Or how about anagrams?...those words that can be jumbled around to say something different but similar...like Debit card = Bad credit or School master = The classroom.

And let's not forget Idioms....those common phrases or sayings whose meanings cannot be understood by the individual words or elements...such as 'eat out of my hand' or 'raining cats and dogs'.

Well...do you know what oxymorons are?

Ever noticed that it's simply impossible to find oxymorons online? The only choice is to ask one of those paid volunteers at the library – the ones in the long-sleeved T-shirts – for an original copy of some obviously obscure documents that were found missing amongst some paperwork almost exactly one hundred years ago.

Notice anything strange about the paragraph above? It makes some sort of sense, yet it's riddled with contradictions (in black). These are oxymorons! Here are some more:

  • jumbo shrimp
  • same difference
  • definite maybe
  • pretty ugly
  • found missing
  • deafening silence
  • living dead
  • clearly confused
  • plastic glasses
  • genuine imitation
  • freezer burn
  • only choice
  • virtual reality ~one of my dearest friends says this almost every time we talk! :)

Aren't those fun? Can you think of any more? Ooooh...just thought of another...'alone together'...haha! Seriously funny, huh? ...oooh...that's one, too! LOL!

info from fun-with-words.com, picture from googleimages.com

34 comments:

  1. did you just call me a name?

    lol.

    so fun!

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  2. Brian ~ it's the 'same difference'...LOL!

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  3. That's great news that your Son found your hubcap! Yahoo and celebrating with you!

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  4. Chacha...oh, but not so good...the clips are broken so we can't put it back on! ugh.

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  5. Love your header! I can understand those more than stuff like..."Oh shut up!"...or "get out of her"..or..'that sucks"...I just hate that! Come say hi :D

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  6. Fun! It has been awhile.

    I often put a negative type adverb in front of a word it doesn't belong with, like maybe 'disgustingly cute' just to illustrate how absolutely cute it really is. I don't know if those really count though. I also don't know when I started doing it and why. I don't even know most of the time when I do it.

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  7. It's late and I can't think of one witty thing to say about this fabulous post, except I love it!

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. your header is so lovely !

    words like this are such fun Betsy ...after looking at the lemon bars from your last post how about

    "low fat desert"

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  10. Kayren ~ yes, that would be one...too funny!

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  11. I am here wondering who are the Oxymorons!
    You really know how to get my attention!
    Oh dear.lol

    I love Shrimps, love your post.

    have a great week, Betsy!

    hugs
    shakira

    If you would like to visit me, Memories,After School and The Something Meme

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  12. oxymorons are some of my favorite phrases to read....like *paid volunteers!* LOL.

    adore your post!!

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  13. Very good! I've always wondered about our 'baby grand' piano.

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  14. Lori ~ I say that all the time and didn't even think about it being an oxymoron! ha!

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  15. I have a friend whose cousin is a science teacher in the public school. She told me he had a real live skeleton in his classroom.

    Then there's those "honest lawyers"...

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  16. In the context of British politics, "compassionate Conservatives" takes some beating.

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  17. Okay, I know you are talking about oxymorons, but I got stopped by the pleonasms(?), a word I have never heard before, but use to use all the time.

    I used to work for the local police writing traffic reports, and the standard lingo was to say dumb stuff like, "Ford Taurus, Red in color." or "A high rate of speed." When I explained to my sergeant that speed was a rate all by itself and that this statement was redundant he gave me a look that said, "You aren't going to be in police work long." And I wasn't.

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  18. Wish I'd written this! Some of the ones you listed, like "definite maybe," are purposely designed to be contradictory, of course, but my additions would be:

    1. Military intelligence (That's an oldie!)

    2. Disco heaven

    3. Happily married (Sorry, it's the cynic in me!)

    And, last but not least...

    4. Billy Mays

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  19. I saw one at the Supermarket only last night Betsy - Low GI Sugar!!
    Millie ^_^

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  20. I love those too! I say things like that ALL the time! HOW CONFUSING!

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  21. Very clever! Happy St. Pat's Day!
    :) The Bach

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  22. All I know is I'm a moron and I want that shrimp!

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  23. Fun post! I'm drooling over the picture of shrimp..

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  24. Love, love, love this!!! Word play is such fun!!! Thanks for the chuckles and big grins today!!! ~Janine XO

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  25. Shrimp? Where are they? All I see are Prawns. Oh well, same difference.

    I think I may be getting this oxymoron stuff, quite possible that I am dead right or even exactly right.

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  26. Shrimp? Where are they? All I see are Prawns. Oh well, same difference.

    I think I may be getting this oxymoron stuff, quite possible that I am dead right or even exactly right.

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  27. I was going to say "almost dead" but you sort of got that the with "living dead." anyway, thanks for clarifying the differences here. i "almost always" forget them! :)

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  28. There used to be a store near where I lived called Patel's Superette. I guess that's some kind of oxymoron.

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  29. How about this one .... dead gorgeous!?

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  30. Justin ~ I think that would certainly be a good oxymoron! :)

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