Oxymoron: what is it?
A dictionary definition: "A rhetorical figure in which an epigrammatic effect is created by the conjunction of incongruous or contradictory terms"
The conjunction of words which, at first view, seem to be contradictory or incongruous, but whose surprising juxtaposition expresses a truth or dramatic effect, such as, "cool fire", "deafening silence", "wise folly", "sweet sorrow", "bitter sweet" or "original copy" and so forth. An oxymoron is similar to a paradox, but more compact, usually consisting of just two successive words.
There is a class of expressions that are often labeled oxymorons (or more correctly, oxymora) but are not. Rather, the speaker retrofits the concept of the oxymoron onto the term, often intending humour from the resulting observation. Usually such perceived oxymora depend on substitution of an alternate meaning for the noun in the phrase (e.g. "old news", where the word "news" is interpreted as "new" rather than "information").
Further examples:
- extensive briefings
- random order
- detailed summary
- jumbo shrimp
- government initiative
- neutral point of view
Some humorists create jokes around such perceived oxymora. Some examples:
- military intelligence
- female rationality
- male sensitivity
- corporate ethics
Indeed, in recent usage it has become fashionable to refer to any contradiction at all as an "oxymoron", especially in this facetious sense. For example, if someone refers to "an honest politician", someone else might respond, "Now there's an oxymoron!"
This used to be referred to as a "contradiction in terms". The fashion may have arisen because "oxymoron" sounded more exotic or learned than "contradiction", but its widespread use in this sense is based on a misunderstanding of the original, literary meaning of "oxymoron" which implies an artful use of a contradiction for effect. At present, current dictionaries appear to mention only the original sense of "oxymoron", but it is possible that in future the distinction will be blurred, and the original meaning of "oxymoron" will be lost.
Oxymorons
acute dullness
act naturally
Advanced BASIC
airline food
almost exactly
alone together
British fashion
business ethics
butthead
cafeteria food
calm wind
cardinal sin
civil engineer
clean coal
coal mine safety
computer security
clearly ambiguous
clearly confused
clearly misunderstood
constant variable
corporate conscience
a definite maybe
deliberately thoughtless
diet ice cream
domestic bliss
educational television
exact estimate
extensive briefing
extinct life
federal budget
flexible ethics
found missing
friendly fire
genuine imitation
government organization
guest host
healthy chocolate
holy war
ill health
industrial park
instant classic
intense apathy
jumbo shrimp
larger half
liquid gas
living dead
Microsoft Works
military intelligence
minor miracle
new classic
New York culture
non-alcoholic beer
non-working mother
normal deviation
old news
only choice
on-time airliner
on-time train
open secret
original copies
paid volunteer
peacekeeper missile
plastic glasses
plastic silverware
postal service
pretty ugly
private citizen
qualified success
rap music
religious tolerance
resident alien
same difference
scheduled spontaneity
scientific belief
second best
seriously funny
silent scream
small crowd
standard deviation
synthetic natural gas
taped live
temporary tax increase
terribly enjoyable
terribly pleased
tight slacks
tragic comedy
train schedule
unbiased opinion
uncrowned king
unsellable stock
unsung hero
vaguely aware
virtual reality
war games
working vacation