Reading This Blog Could Shorten Your Useful Life by 3.7 Minutes

Quote:  "Is this one of those cases where the news is the opposite of what the news says the news is?" Mickey Kaus in his Slate blog, the Kaus Files

Figure of Speech:  antistasis (an TIH sta sis), the repeat that changes a word's meaning.

Researchers say that regular exercise can lengthen your lifespan by 3.7 years.  "Only 3.7 years?"  Kaus wheezes.  “It almost doesn't seem worth it."  Then he tosses in an antistasis for good measure.  The figure repeats a word in a way that changes or contradicts its original meaning.  You'll often find it nested in a chiasmus.  ("You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy.")

Actually, 3.7 years sounds like a lot.  In that time we could watch 17,520 episodes of the "Simpsons."

Snappy Answer:  "When you figure it out, come find us at the health club."

Comments

[Melissik]

One afternoon, I was in the backyard hanging the laundry when an old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home. But when I walked into the house, he followed me, sauntered down the hall and fell asleep in a corner. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back. He resumed his position in the hallway and slept for an hour.
This continued for several weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: "Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap. "
The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: "He lives in a home with ten children - he's trying to catch up on his sleep."

I cried from laughter
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