Figures of Speech Served Fresh

Dear Figaro,
What figure of speech is "struck gold"?
Thanks,
Michelle

Dear Michelle,
A good old metaphor. That is, unless you literally took your pick and dug up some of that stuff.
Fig.

Dear Figaro:

On the front page of the March, 2008, issue of the California Bar Journal, there is an article about the role of Neuroscience in the courtroom. (Some scientists claim they can tell from an MRI examination of a person's brain whether the person is lying or telling the truth, guilty or innocent, violent or non-violent, etc.)

I was struck by one quotation and felt the need to send it to you for your analysis. A Stanford Law Professor, Hank Greely, urges a cautious approach. "I think we should be skeptical about these claims," he is quoted as saying. "We need to not rush into it. But we also need not to ignore it."

I am guessing this is an example of some esoteric figure of speech. Your thoughts?

Steve

Dear Steve,

All neuroscientists and law professors should study rhetoric. Brain scans have proven all kinds of stuff that Figaro's pals Aristotle, Isocrates, Gorgias, and Cicero knew already. For example, when you use a balanced figure like a CHIASMUS or one of the repetition figures, your audience's brain fires up to complete the figure. ("Either we can let the law rule the president, or we can let the president...") Acting agreeably fires up the pleasure center of the brain. Showing anger fires the audience's amygdala, the fear and impulse center (i.e., flight or fight). Figaro could go on.

But the problem with brain scans is that they don't define the terms for a scientist. Come up with a machine that can precisely parse "the truth" or "innocent," and you'll have Figaro's attention.

Oh, right. You asked a question. Prof. Greely is employing an ANTISAGOGE (an tih sa GO gee), the on the one hand, on the other hand figure of thought. From the Greek for "balancing arguments," the antisagoge makes you sound reasonable and fair-minded. Combine it with the RELUCTANT CONCLUSION (see p. 73 of Figaro's book), and you can steer your audience without their even knowing it.

Fig.

Fig:

No need to include this question. I'm e-mailing merely to point out that a link to an entry between 23 May 2007 and 31 May 2007 no longer works. The title in your archives is "We're Merismized."

Here's the link:

http://www.figarospeech.com/it-figures/we%e2%80%99re-merismized.html

Scott

Dear Scott,
Weird. It may have to do with the apostrophe. Anyone know how to fix that sort of thing?
Fig.

Dear Figaro,
My friend would like to be added to your email list. How does she do that?
Kathy

Dear Kathy,
Have her go here: http://www.figarospeech.com/daily-figure-email
Fig.

Dear Figaro,

While reading Jay's "Thank You for Arguing," I thought of the part about Ethos, and it made me finally understand what it was that infuriated me about blowhards like Bill O'Reilly and the like. They have sometimes solid logic, they are very slick in their delivery, but they fail miserably in establishing ethos! No matter what they say, I find myself just unconvinced, and I realize now that it is my basic personal dislike for them that creates this barrier.

For a perfect example of someone "winning the points but losing the debate," see Bill O'Reilly on Letterman on YouTube -- classic case of how important ethos is.

Patrick

Dear Patrick,
Ah, but said blowhards actually use an ethical strategy. (That's "ethical" as in "chock full o' Ethos.") Millions of viewers identify with the man; he represents a sort of brand for their own opinions, a convenient shortcut to thought.
Figaro

Dear Figaro,
What rhetoric device or fallacy is the quote "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
Christian

Dear Christian,

It's a CHIASMUS, Figaro's fave. The chiasmus, named for the Greek letter "X", makes a mirror image of a phrase or clause. Read Fig's book-- that quote is in there."

And, no, Mr. Kennedy's great chiasmus is no fallacy.

Fig.

Figaro,

My friend has decided to try out vegetarianism for a month. I'm a vegetarian, and want to nudge her into staying veg.

So, I wanted to bring up how a while back I showed her a couple of books she turned out falling in love with, to remind her that I have good opinions. Is there a word for that?

Oh and by the way, is there a word for giving animals or humans super powers? For example in the song "Speed of Soudnd" by Coldplay, the lyrics go "bird go flying at the speed of sound, to show you how it all began..." etc.

There seems to be a word for almost everything. Do you take a class purely about them for your english major?

Thanks, Alex

Dear Alex,
Reminding your friend of your brilliant taste in books enhances your PHRONESIS, or your audience's belief in your practical wisdom. Giving fish, fowl and folks superpowers constitute a form of HYPERBOLE, or exaggeration. There is a word for everything, but Figaro can't think of it. As for English majors suffering through a class of rhetorical terminology: Figaro devoutly hopes not.
Fig.

Jay,

My review of your book was finally published in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of the Champion, the magazine of the National Associate of Criminal Defense Lawyers. If you send me your web address I can forward it to you.

Jon May

Dear Jon,
Can't wait to see it. You can email Jay at Figaro@wildblue.net.
Fig.

Dear Figaro,
Here in Utah we have a state senator who made a horrible statement. I'd love to see you dissect it. A senator compared a bill with the baby that King Solomon offered to split up. He said it made for an ugly baby. Senator Chris Buttars responded "This is a black baby. I tell you it's a dark, ugly thing."
R.L.

Dear R.L.,
Technically, the senator is using an EPITASIS (e-PIT-a-sis, from the Greek for "stretching"), which repeats a statement in different words. ("It was a terrible night. Dark and stormy.") As for the racist aspect of it, I'll leave that up to you.
Fig.

Dear Figaro,
Here CNN.US quotes McCain on Obama. I enjoy the way he ironically uses the "not this but that" figure (sorry, not good with names) to disparage democrats and rhetoric at the same time. My question is what is the the device called where he parallels the two words (rhetoric, platitudes) with a contrasting pair (principles, philosophy)?

McCain criticized the Democrats for speaking in "platitudes" about Iraq.

"Look at the record ... not the rhetoric, not the platitudes, but the principles and the philosophy," he said.

Fig,
Are you familiar with those annoying cell phone commercials where they combine names of cities to create a ridiculous sounding new locations -- Virginiatokyobirmingham? What the heck is that called?
Regards,
Dave D.

Dear Dave,
No, I'm not. But then, Figaro lives on the dark side of the moon and only gets to watch TV when he travels. When you smoosh words together to create new meaning, you make a PORTMANTEAU. But this is a geographic version, like calling the cities of Buda and Pest, "Budapest." So I'm not entirely sure it would qualify. Want to think of a new term? How about CITYFRYING? As in, "did you see that Virginia and Birmingham got cityfried?"
Fig.

Dear Figaro,

I think collecting statements becomes an obsession.

1. Obama:
"We won in Louisiana, we won in Nebraska, we won in Washington state, we won north, we won south, we won in between. And I believe that we can win Virginia on Tuesday if you're ready to stand for change."
Washington Post 02 09 2008


2. Obama:
“I believe John McCain is a good man and a genuine American hero, and we honor his half century of service to this nation. But understand in this campaign, in this year, he has made the decision to embrace the failed policies of George Bush’s Washington.”
Washington Post 02 09 2008


3. Hillary Clinton:
"Because after seven long years of George W. Bush, seven years of incompetence, corruption and cronyism, seven years of government of the few, by the few and for the few, the next president will face tremendous challenges. As the president walks into the Oval Office, waiting there will be two wars, an economy in trouble, the health-care crisis, the energy crisis, all of the problems that I hear about every day from all across America."
Washington Post 0209 2008

Is no 2. an Anesis? Is no 3 an Ominatio? Help me once more!

Arie Vrolijk

Dear Figaro,
I was just wondering, what exactly is "an object lesson"?
Kathy

Dear Kathy,
The Oxford English Dictionary says that this IDIOM originally described a lesson in which students examined an actual object.

But John Ciardi points out that "object" comes from the Latin OB-, meaning "toward", and JACTARE, to throw. This supports the common connotation of the object lesson: a learning experience that contradicts assumptions; e.g., "Iraq is an object lesson for neo-conservatives." In other words, a lesson of objection.

Interestingly, the OED also says Shakespeare used "object" to mean something that raises a strong emotion: "Swear against objects, put armor on thine ears, and on thine eyes."

H.L. Mencken adds a further twist: "Object" is a colloquialism for a figure of derision. So an object lesson can be one that turns the learner into an object.

Fig.

Dear Figaro,

Edward M.Kennedy:
"Just remember this: February 5th is the date. New Jersey is the state. Barack Obama is the candidate."
Please your reaction.

Arie Vrolijk

Dear Arie,
It's a rhyming ISOCOLON, clauses of equal length. It's also Ted's attempt to sound like Jesse Jackson. But I've heard Jesse Jackson; Senator Kennedy, you're no Jesse Jackson.
Fig.

Dear Figaro,
Huckabee told a crowd in Huntsville, Ala.:. "It ain't the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog, and there's a lot of fight left in this dog." Please give us your analysis. I am not a Baptist but a Figarist,
Arie Vrolijk

Dear Arie,
You're full of questions lately. Good ones. Huckabee is employing a CHIASMUS, Figaro's favorite figure. Named after the Greek letter "X," the chiasmus presents the mirror image of a clause. Unfortunately, fight doesn't have a size. this chiasmus, like the candidate himself, is trying a little too hard.
Fig.

Dear Fig,

My name is John Falter. I picked up your book in the University of Central Florida bookstore last February. Your book opened up a new and exciting world of rhetoric for me. Now at my new school, I have just completed an independent study project on the oratory of Cicero-- I would have never studied anything like that if it weren't for your book. Because of what "Thank You For Arguing" catalyzed, I am now starting to work on my thesis, "Historical Perspectives in Rhetoric Pedagogy and the Spirit of Revolution"-- intense, huh?

As a third year in college trying to get into law school, I'm looking for oppurtunities to do research,work, or anything this coming summer. I was wondering if you, as such an awesome rhetorician, knew of a good thing, or anything, for a young rhetoric student to do, other than read (because that's a given), during their summer.

Thanks for your book,
John

Dear John,

You're not a figment of Figaro's imagination, are you? After all, he wrote the book for you. You're the guy who's going to save the country.

Guys who save the country don't always do it for little or no pay; but if you're willing to make peanuts (or somewhat less), Figaro himself may have something for you. Email him: Figaro@wildblue.net.

Fig.

Dear Figaro,


Bush offered some modest plans for his last year in office.
"By the State of the Union of the eighth year, reality is the guest in the balcony," said Michael Waldman, Bill Clinton's former chief White House speechwriter.
'Reality is the guest', a nice figure.
Please give your analysis.

Yours ,

Arie Vrolijk

Dear Arie,
I believe it's straightforward PERSONIFICATION, the ghost in rhetoric's machine.
Fig.

Dear Figaro,

I am writing a scientific paper on conversational tautologies like "Boys will be boys", "War is war" or "A husband is a husband".
Now I ran across the sentence " “Maybe linguists are linguists because they can’t have any fun of their own with language.”
Would you say that this a tautology? And where is the point when tautologies stop making sense?

Thanks and best regards,
Jascha

Hello, i am romanian and i have a few terms that i am
> supposed to categorize by figure of speech and
> stylistic level. I figured soome of them out, but
> could you help me categorize the following terms,
> please?
>
> Cold War, French Kiss, Deadline, End of Story,8. Good
> Samaritan,Heavy Metal,High five,Jinx,Mayday ,No
> dice,Over the Top, Push the envelope,Rise and
> shine,Safe Sex,Sleep Tight,Shake a leg,Strike a
> deal,That¹s all Folks!,Break a leg,Dog days,Down the
> drain,Pot calling the kettle black,Speak of the
> devil,Asking for it,Fifth wheel,Between a rock and a
> hard place
>
> I would appreciate it if you could help me place them
> in the right figure of speech category. Thank You in
> advance, Stef

Dear Stef,
Figaro would love to categorize Safe Sex, French Kiss, Speak of the Devil, and Down the Drain for you, but he's happily married. Actually, all of your terms fall in one category: the IDIOM. Search Figaro's site for more.
Fig.

Dear Figaro,

I've seen this odd ad campaign by Honda:

"The Fit is Go!"

And the artwork and other text in the vehicle's advertisements reflect a certain... is it "anime" style? Exclamation points abound, and funny word choice is another key element.

Is this the conscious use of Engrish in advertising? If so, I think it's the first example.

Brandon Smith,
News editor of a student newspaper

Dear Brandon,

Good question. The Fit campaign could be an Eastern form of Fahrfignugen. Or it could reflect NASA's Right Stuff Americanisms, "System is go" and "We're go to launch."

Figaro would have to see the marketing plan before deciding. That's a negative, Houston.

Fig.