Posts by Pat:
Do these make any sense?
Ever wondered why some of these sayings don’t seem to really make sense?
And how about…confirmed rumor, or unbiased opinion, or military intelligence?
Each of these is called an oxymoron, which a dictionary defines as “a combination of contradictory or incongruous words.”
Still another dictionary defines an oxymoron as a “wittily paradoxical turn of phrase that appeals to ‘unconscious responses’ instead of rational examinations.” Wow!
The word itself is said to have originated from the Greek words, oxy, meaning ‘sharp, pointed’ and the word moros that meant ‘dull or foolish.‘
Think about:
- clearly confused,
- original copy,
- passive aggessive,
- exact estimate.
Have you ever heard (or said!) this one?
And here’s another one!
Ever chuckled at a sign like one of these?
Or how about this one?
They may not make logical sense, but they are dramatic…flavorful…and fun!
And here are some of my favorite quotations that make use of oxymorons:
- “I can resist anything, except temptation.” Oscar Wilde
- “Modern dancing is so old fashioned.” Samuel Goldwyn
- “I am a deeply superficial person.” Andy Warhol
- “No one goes to that restaurant anymore-it’s always too crowded.” Yogi Berra
Playing with words is fun and I’m always delighted when I come across new plays with words and ideas. Do you have any that you could share?
Are we there yet?
Vacations are a national tradition (as is this perennial childhood complaint!) I’m sharing some actual complaints received by “Thomas Cook Vacations” from dissatisfied customers. They have made quite the rounds on the internet. I think you’ll enjoy them as much as I have! “We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there […]
Not perfect?
My sister is a lot better at knitting than I am. It is painfully obvious when she tackles a complex pattern, makes changes in it, and then finishes it before I’ve figured how to get my project going. She’s a regular whiz at it! And by comparison I’m slow and my projects are much less […]
Half way through?
We’re half way through 2024! Really. We often act as if we had all the time in the world. Yet we really do know that our time here on earth is finite. And time often seems to fly by. What if we realize that we may have already lived 50%, 75% of our life span. […]
Now what?
We can pretty much count on getting sidelined from time to time. And it’s important to not allow a setback become part of the larger story we so often creative around our “life of difficulties.” So What? Now what? The “So what” puts our current life blip into perspective. And the Now what” can get […]
Sharing some life lessons…
Did you ever see the email that went viral on the internet called “Life Lessons from a 90 Year old Woman?” Now this is a gal I can relate to! And, no, she was not 90 years old. Regina Brett wrote her list the night before her 45th birthday after being diagnosed with breast cancer. […]
Should you be worried?
There are two days in every week that we should not worry (and Saturday is not necesarily one of them!)-days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is YESTERDAY with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control. […]
Square pegs and round holes…
“Square peg in a round hole” describes someone who doesn’t fit into a specified niche. Have you tried to fit into an uncomfortable slot? Has someone tried to make you fit into their perception of who you should be? Was this man a square peg? This is an “Einstein idea” I found interesting to contemplate! […]
What is a ninety percent person
If we expect perfection, it’s a guarantee for failure. Why? Because we’re human and humans make mistakes and sometimes fail even with the best of intentions. And the goal should not be perfection, but rather to wake up tomorrow and do better than today. Our goal for 2024 can be to be better than 2023. […]
Attitude Adjustment?
I’m remembering a post that I did 6 years ago and it seems really appropriate these days! There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. “Well,” she said, ” I think I’ll braid my hair today.” So she did […]