What do Mae West, John F. Kennedy, Victor Hugo, and H. L. Mencken have in common? They all indulged in chiasmus-a literary device in which word order is reversed to hilarious or poignant effect. When Mae West said, "It's not the men in my life, it's the life in my men," she was using chiasmus; when John F. Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," he was doing the same. Dr. Mardy Grothe has compiled hundreds of examples of chiasmus in this whimsically illustrated collection, bringing this witty and thought-provoking device out of...
What do Mae West, John F. Kennedy, Victor Hugo, and H. L. Mencken have in common? They all indulged in chiasmus-a literary device in which word order ...
The murals in restaurants are on a par with the food in museums.
America is an enormous frosted cupcake in the middle of millions of starving people.
Critics are like pigs at the pastry cart.
Describing something by relating it to another thing is the essence of metaphorical thought. It is one of the oldest activities of humankind--and one of the most impressive when done skillfully. Throughout history, many masters of metaphor have crafted observations that are so spectacular they have taken up a permanent residence in our minds.
In I Never Metaphor I Didn't...
The murals in restaurants are on a par with the food in museums.
America is an enormous frosted cupcake in the middle of millions of starving...
A must-have for language lovers, this compendium contains hundreds of mind-stretching observations that are contradictory or illogical on one level, yet true, witty, and often profound on another.
ox-y-mor-on-i-ca (OK-se-mor-ON-uh-ca) noun Any variety of tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are profoundly true.
For example:
"Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad." --Victor Hugo
"To lead the people, walk behind them." --Lao-tzu
"You'd be...
A must-have for language lovers, this compendium contains hundreds of mind-stretching observations that are contradictory or illogical on one level...
