Quote: "As Iraqis stand up, we will stand down." George W. Bush, in a speech to American troops in South Korea.
Figure of speech: paromoiosis (pa ro moy OH sis), the side-by-side figure.
The president uses a figure so elegant that we’re loath to make fun of it. His paromoiosis (Greek for "assimilation") creates parallel sounds between two clauses of equal size. It makes for a neat antithesis, the us-or-them, right-or-wrong kind of argument that Bush especially favors.
One question, though: Did Bush leave out "the" before "Iraqis" for the sake of rhythm? Or is he revealing something about Iraq’s state of unity?
Snappy Answer: "You mean, as Iraq blows up, we’ll blow out."