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Will and Guy’s Funny Words
The definition of Oxymoron is:- A rhetorical figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms are paired, for example, alone together, current history or boneless ribs.
Once alerted to oxymorons, you cannot help spotting them! On hoardings in newspaper headlines where ever you look you will see an oxymoron.
Examples of an Oxymoron
- Dry Lake
- Crash Landing
- Fuzzy Logic
- Free Gift
- Grape Nuts (with Vegetarian Meatballs)
- Numb Sensation
- Stand Down
- Detailed Summary
Over-the-top example of Oxymoron
I can picture my friend ‘Barking’ Eddie, it’s a pretty ugly sight. I see him half naked, sipping non-alcoholic beer from his plastic glass; from time to time he nibbles on his cold hotdog, which is smothered in hot chili sauce. For pudding Eddie is having freezer burnt, white chocolate, ice cream, with a plain fudge topping.
Next week Eddie is organizing a working party for hell’s angels. This is a new tradition, they will be spending a whole half-day on the top floor of his low-rise office. They are hoping to watch a live recording of a programme about turning green oranges into non-stick glue.
Cruel Examples of Oxymorons
- Punk Music
- Civil Servant
- Gourmet Pizza
- User Friendly
- Microsoft Works
- Loners Club
- Labour Party (or Conservative Party or Liberal Party)
- Silent Women
- Swiss Navy
Oxymoron is a strange word in itself. Firstly I cannot decide which is better oxymoron or oxymorons, secondly I cannot get the syllable ‘moron’ out of my mind.
2) Funny and Strange Words
Reported in The Scotsman newspaper by Aura Sabadus:
Mallemaroking may not be a word that crops up often in everyday conversation, but a prestigious reference book based in Edinburgh is fighting to save it, along with other quirky entries.
The expression, which means ‘carousing of seamen in ice-bound ships’, is on a save list compiled by the Chambers Dictionary in an attempt to preserve linguistic heritage and to amuse Scrabblers and crossword setters. Ian Brookes, the dictionary’s editor, said the publication ‘ resisted the temptation to toss words out, even if that meant adding more pages’.
He added: ‘Some of the words have a certain relish about them and it would be sad to lose them. The Chambers Dictionary is one of the few reference books to preserve such words.’
Mr Brookes said rare words were often looked up by people drawing up family trees.
Also on the save list are jobernowl (blockhead), logodaedalus (someone skilled in the manipulative use of words), incompossible (incapable of co-existing) and supernaculum (to the last drop). But the new edition, due out in September, 2006, will include new words such as ‘stooze’ – to borrow money at a cheap rate.
N.B. Please send us your examples of Oxmoron
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