Antiphrasis—A Greek and Latin term meaning express by the opposite,” this is a “to type of irony when a single word is used (ironically). Apophasis—A Greek term for apophasis is emphasizing something by “denial,” pretending to brush over it. This device is commonly introduced with something like to say” or goes without saying that.” John Smith’s The Mysterie of “needless “it Rhetorique Unvail’d (1657) defines apophasis as kind of irony, whereby we deny “a that we say or doe that which we especially say or doe.” For example, just let me say this: That’s his business, and I’m not “Now critical of him for doing that. You will have to pass judgment on that particular point,” from Richard Nixon’s speech. “Checkers” type of comic verse containing two metrically awkward couplets, Clerihew—A presenting some kind of ridiculously uninformative biographical information, usually rhyming the some famous name into the first couplet. For example, Chaucer/Could hardly have been coarser,/But this “Geoffrey never harmed the sales/Of his from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Canterbury Tales,” Chleuasmos—A sarcastic reply that leaves one’s opponent speechless. Hyperbole—Latin and Greek term for The use of deliberate “exaggeration.” exaggeration or overstatement in order to express strong feelings or to produce a powerful impact on the audience. Hypocrisis—The use of exaggerated speech or physical gestures to mock someone. For example, see much of the work of Stephen Colbert, who mocks Bill O’Reilly. Irony—A figure of speech in which the intended meaning is the antithesis of the literal meaning of the words used. For example, Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honorable “Yet man,” from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Meiosis—From the Greek for meiosis is a term for understatement, “lessening,” typically for humorous, ironic or satiric effect. Reductio ad absurdum—A Latin phrase meaning, reduce to the absurd,” this “to can be an effective comedic technique, but when used in a serious context it is a fallacy (false dilemma). Devices of Omission
Antiphrasis—A Greek and Latin term meaning “to express by the opposite,” this is a type of irony when a single word is used (ironically). Apophasis—A Greek term for “denial,” apophasis is emphasizing something by pretending to brush over it. This device is commonly introduced with something like “needless to say” or “it goes without saying that.” John Smith’s The Mysterie of Rhetorique Unvail’d (1657) defines apophasis as “a kind of irony, whereby we deny that we say or doe that which we especially say or doe.” For example, “Now just let me say this: That’s his business, and I’m not critical of him for doing that. You will have to pass judgment on that particular point,” from Richard Nixon’s “Checkers” speech. Clerihew—A type of comic verse containing two metrically awkward couplets, presenting some kind of ridiculously uninformative biographical information, usually rhyming the some famous name into the first couplet. For example, “Geoffrey Chaucer/Could hardly have been coarser,/But this never harmed the sales/Of his Canterbury Tales,” from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Chleuasmos—A sarcastic reply that leaves one’s opponent speechless. Hyperbole—Latin and Greek term for “exaggeration.” The use of deliberate exaggeration or overstatement in order to express strong feelings or to produce a powerful impact on the audience. Hypocrisis—The use of exaggerated speech or physical gestures to mock someone. For example, see much of the work of Stephen Colbert, who mocks Bill O’Reilly. Irony—A figure of speech in which the intended meaning is the antithesis of the literal meaning of the words used. For example, “Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honorable man,” from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Meiosis—From the Greek for “lessening,” meiosis is a term for understatement, typically for humorous, ironic or satiric effect. Reductio ad absurdum—A Latin phrase meaning, “to reduce to the absurd,” this can be an effective comedic technique, but when used in a serious context it is a fallacy (false dilemma). Devices of Omission
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