Figures of Speech Served Fresh

Dear Figaro,
What's the name for this rhetorical reversal?: "The boys felt unsafe walking through the neighborhood, despite -- or perhaps because -- of the dozens of police officers that watched their every move."
Sam

Dear Sam,
It's a CORRECTIO, the self-correction. In this case, the correctio takes the form of a PARADOX, which tries to keep two logical balls in the air at the same time.
Fig.

Dear Figaro,
What is Hillary statement “HE’S NOT A MUSLIM AS FAR AS I KNOW.”
Wayne

Dear Wayne,
It's an especially nasty INNUENDO--Latin for "significant nod." A form of irony, it says something while denying you're saying it. Shame on Hillary.
Fig.

Dear Figaro, I recently watched the film "Thank you for smoking". The spokesman for tobacco says something like, "I attack the other guy, and if others see he's wrong, then I must be right." Is this a simple ad hominem attack or what?
Thanks,
Neal

Dear Neal,
Attacking the other guy is the very definition of ad hominem. But assuming you're right because everything else thinks the other guy is wrong constitutes an ad populum -- an appeal to the people. It's a fallacy that says if the masses approve, it must be true. Of course, in rhetoric, that's not really a fallacy; what most people believe forms a political truth. So the guy puffing for Big Tobacco must be right...if you define "right" rightly.
Fig.

Dear Figaro,

Where did the term, or saying, "to coin a praise" originate and what is it's meaning?

Thank you for your help!

J Harris

Dear J,

To coin a phrase or expression is to produce it, the way a mint produces a quarter. There's a negative connotation of overly elaborate speech, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. But Shakespeare found the subtler meaning as always: "I would rather coin my heart" than steal money from peasants, Brutus says in "Julius Caesar."

Could the Bard coin or what?

Fig.

Dear Figaro,
Great book. Personally I'm a fan of the chiasmus and while preparing a speech that will be delivered to approximately 800 people, I was sure to both follow Cicero's guide, and to insert a chiasmus at the end. Thanks for the great advice.
Scott

Dear Scott,
Let me know how it turns out.
Fig.

Dear Figaro,
I am interested in learning more about AUTOPHASIA. Can you suggest any sites, etc.? Except for this great site, I can't find references to the rhetorical figure. You provided some useful examples of its usage-if you have more, please share! I'm trying to differentiate Autophasia from Catch -22, if there is in fact a difference. I gather it is a type of self-referential paradox like the "Liar's Paradox" or the "Exception Paradox" ("if every rule has an exception..."). Thanks for your help! I really enjoy dropping by this site to see what figures are being explored
Pamela

Dear Pamela,
There is a slight distinction between an AUTOPHASIA and the Catch-22: the autophasia is a rule or principle that can be executed only by violating it. The original Catch-22 was a logical closed loop. In order to be discharged, a soldier had to be insane. But wanting a discharge proved he was sane.
Fig.

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.