Quote: "This time, the sky really is falling." Ad for the movie "Chicken Little."Figure of Speech: paraenesis (pah RAY nuh sis), the Chicken Little figure.
The paraenesis (Greek for "exhortation") warns of impending doom. It's the favored figure of fundamentalists, global warmists, virologists, and the Attorney General.
Why do you need to know its name? So that you can say to a pessimist, "Don't be such a paraenesist." Terms like this offer endless ways to annoy people.
Snappy Answer: "Quick! Renew the Patriot Act!"