What's an OXYMORON
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- Category: WHAT's an OXYMORON
- Published on Saturday, 01 January 2011 00:00
- Written by erly
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An oxymoron (plural oxymorons or more rarely oxymora) is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms.
Oxymoron is a loanword from Greek oxy ("sharp") and moros ("dull").
Thus the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron.
Oxymora are a proper subset of the expressions called contradictions in terms. What distinguishes oxymora from other paradoxes and contradictions is that they are intentionally used for rhetorical effect.
OXYMORA
| absolutely unsure | false hope | one choice |
| accidentally on purpose | final version | one for all, all for one |
| accurate estimate | finally again | one person crew |
| act naturally | fine mess | one size fits all |
| active retirement | fresh frozen | only choice |
| advanced BASIC | fuzzy logic | open lock |
| advanced beginner | gentle turbulence | open secret |
| agree to disagree | genuine fake | organized chaos |
| all alone | genuine imitation | original copy |
| all together but separate | going nowhere | paid volunteer |
| almost done | good junk | paper tablecloth |
| almost exactly | green orange | partial conclusion |
| almost totally | guaranteed forecast | partial silence |
| alone in a crowd | half empty | partial success |
| alone together | half full | partially completed |
| amateur expert | halfway done | partially destroyed |
| amicable divorce | head butt | partially organized |
| among the first | Hell’s Angels | peace force |
| anonymous colleague | high ground | perfect screw-up |
| anti-missile missile | history of the future | plastic glass |
| anxious patient | holy hell | pool table |
| approximate solution | home office | poor rich kid |
| approximately equal | home school | practice Test |
| arrogant humility | honest thief | pretty ugly |
| artificial grass | hopeful pessimist | prison life |
| artificial intelligence | hopelessly optimistic | proud humility |
| assistant supervisor | horribly decent | pure speculation |
| authentic replica | icy hot | random order |
| authentic reproduction | idiot savant | real fantasy |
| auto pilot | idly laborious | real magic |
| awfully good | ignorant professor | real phony |
| awfully nice | impatient patient | recent history |
| awfully pretty | important trivia | regular special |
| baby giant | initial conclusion | relative truth |
| baby grand | inside out | remotely obvious |
| bad health | jumbo shrimp | required donation |
| bad sport | just war | resident alien |
| bankrupt millionaire | known-covert operation | rising deficits |
| barely dressed | kosher ham | rogue cop |
| benign tumor | ladies man | rolling stop |
| beyond infinity | last initial | rubber cement |
| big baby | legally drunk | safe bet |
| bigger half | lemon lime | same difference |
| bipartisan cooperation | less is more | science fiction |
| bitter sweet | lesser good | second best |
| blind eye | light-heavyweight | second initial |
| calculated risk | lightweight | short distance |
| calm storm | limited freedom | sight unseen |
| calm winds | limited immunity | silent alarm |
| canned fresh | liquid crystal | silent testimony |
| casual dress | liquid gas | simply superb |
| catfish | little big | single pair |
| cautiously optimistic | little pregnant | slightly overweight |
| certain risk | live recording | slow jet |
| civil disobedience | living dead | sober drunk |
| Civil War | local long distance | social outcast |
| clean dirt | long and short of it | solo concert |
| clear as mud | long brief | solo ensemble |
| clearly ambiguous | loose tights | solved mystery |
| clearly confused | loud whisper | spendthrift |
| clearly misunderstood | love-hate relationship | staged accident |
| clever fool | low altitude | steel wool |
| climb down | low-rise | still moving |
| clogged drain | loyal opposition | still wind |
| close distance | major minority | stop action |
| comedic tragedy | male lady bug | strangely familiar |
| consistently inconsistent | medium well | student teacher |
| conspicuously absent | mercy killing | sugarless candy |
| constant change | mild abrasive | sun shade |
| controlled chaos | military peace | sweet and sour |
| dead livestock | minor disaster | sweet sorrow |
| deafening silence | minor miracle | taped live |
| definite maybe | missing present | thinking out loud |
| devilish angel | modern history | tight slacks |
| devout atheist | mutual differences | tiny mountain |
| diminishing growth | mutually exclusive | toll free |
| dodge ram | negative gain | turkey ham |
| dry creek | negative growth | uncommonly common |
| easy labor | never again | upside down |
| easy task | new classic | victimless crime |
| enormously small | non-alcoholic beer | virgin birth |
| enthusiastic indifference | non-alcoholic wine | virtual reality |
| equally diverse | non-dairy creamer | weekday |
| even odds | non-stick glue | wet drywall |
| exact estimate | non-stick gum | white gold |
| expected surprise | non-toxic bug spray | whole half |
| extremely average | obvious secret | whole part |
| eyes wide shut | old news | work party |
| fail safe | once again | working vacation |
| false fact | once for all | young adult |
| |
|
zero deficit |
OXYMORON SENTENCES
It’s thought that the San Francisco Cable Cars
are the most likely mobile National monuments.
To coin a much-abused phrase,
parting is such sweet sorrow.
They were clearly confused after hearing the tragic News.
An unusual deafening silence fell over the startled audience
as they watched the Magician perform this death-defying act.
During their wedding party, the new bride and groom
couldn’t wait to get away alone together.
Some of us thought their fancy clothes were pretty ugly.
The tsunami in Indonesia is now old news.
Many actors and actresses have bitter sweet romances
that usually last through thick and thin.
The Hell’s Angels motorcade was
over a mile long and two abreast.
It’s a common saying that change is the only constant.
In today’s way of thinking, you could almost say
a small crowd attended the rally.
When the Western armies withdraw from
Iraq and/or Afghanistan,
the fear is that civil war will break out immediately.
Some of the deeply religious faithful believe
there’s life after death.
That’s the same difference as six of one,
half a dozen of the other, isn’t it?
The CHP traffic officer gave her a ticket
for making a rolling stop at the STOP sign.
Have a wonderful long Labor day weekend...
that's an oxymoron...if ever there is!
The penultimate oxymoron is CIVIL WAR!
The last scene was supposed to be
the best of the worst part of that boring show.