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Re: Figures of speech (was CFFA V2.0)

Simon D. Williams wrote:

Bill Garber wrote:


"Simon D. Williams" <email@ld8.org> wrote in message
1141684546.376928.269230@p10g2000cwp.googlegroups.com">news:1141684546.376928.269230@p10g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...


Jorge Chamorro Bieling wrote:



...so I may be perfectly wrong.


I really like the phrase "perfectly wrong"... layers
of meaning! Does that qualify as an oxymoron?


No, it does not. Perfectly (adjective) describes how
wrong (noun), so therefore is a proper expression.



I think you're erroneously correct ;-)

Google's def. includes: "deafening silence and a mournful optimist",
which are also both "proper expressions", however it seems that
_intent_ is necessary to form an oxymoron, as in "A rhetorical device
in which two seemingly contradictory words are used together /for
effect/"...

Now watch as I cleverly bring this back on topic:

Since the "e" in Apple IIe stands for "enhanced", would the
occasionally-used term "unenhanced Apple IIe" be considered an oxymoron?


I will refer your question to the Department of Redundancy Department.

In the same (but no longer remotely on-topic) vein, one frequently
hears the experession "and et cetera", which is correctly criticized
as being redundant.  What is not well known, is that "et cetera" is
latin for "and the rest", but "cetera" is a contraction of the greek
"kai heteros", meaning "and the rest".  So Romans were being redundant
in putting "et" in front of it!

The literal translation of "and et cetera", then, is "and and and the
rest".  ;-)

-michael

Music synthesis for 8-bit Apple II's!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

"The wastebasket is our most important design
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