Oxymoron ... Anyone?

A friend called me and he was asking me what the reader meant by an oxymoron being utilized by yours truly in this blog. 

Simply put ... an oxymoron is placing two opposite words together ... to make an impact. An oxymoron is a literary device -a specific technique that allows the writer to paint a different hue (some poetic with abstract undertones to his writing). Oxymorons merge, fuse, and blend antithetical and contrasting words to coin a new word and create a new meaning. The contradiction and the conflict brought about by the newly coined phrase (neologism) allow writers to be playful with their language and writing - to make a dramatic effect.

Can two opposing words really be placed side by side with each other and create a new meaning? A newbie may feel oxymorons are illogical or inappropriate but if you look deeper ... it makes perfect sense.

Indeed the ideas seem implausible and questionable ... but consider this instance. When somebody commented: "You look awful ... you look like a LIVING DEAD!" You are living alright ... and since you miss your breakfast ... you look pale and ashen ... like a dead person. That is smart description indeed.

If somebody told you "Your husband's two-timing activities and midnight tryst is an OPEN SECRET. Implausible? No way! Questionable? I doubt it.  It is a secret you have been keeping ... now it becomes open ... because it's no secret ... no more. Everybody is talking about your husband's infidelity the whole time.

I just want to remind everybody not to confuse oxymorons with paradoxes. Both are a literary device that specializes in contradiction. But it is easy to know one ... when you see one.

An oxymoron is a descriptive device that places two contrasting words side by side to create a new nuance and a new definition.  On the other hand, paradoxes combine opposing sets of phrases, ideas, or situations.

In the next post below are more examples of oxymorons ... so you get accustomed to it.  Indeed it sounds improbable to combine them ... but if you think and delve deeper ... you will realize these words that are at odds with each other ... can play sweet music together.

A Heavy Dose of Oxymorons

 

Oxymorons sound implausible and improbable ... and their meanings are questionable to some ... but wait ... some oxymorons have gradually permeated and are now on their way to becoming universally accepted ... and some already made it into the mainstream glossary of everyday chitchat and verbal exchange.

The most popular oxymoron is BITTER-SWEET.  My friend remarked: "As far as taste is concerned ... I can't imagine mixing ampalaya (bitter gourd) with sugar or condensed milk to get a bittersweet result." But no ... we don't mean it that way. If you describe your childhood memories as bittersweet ... it meant that his childhood journey has some happy moments ... and some sad aspects too. If you say bittersweet pain - the experience reveals a double-sided existence ... some opposing and contrasting feeling tones ... that is both pleasant and painful too in some aspects.

Another popular oxymoron is DEAFENING SILENCE.  Is it really possible that an absence of noise is deafening? The truth is ... objectively it is impossible.  But the way the phrase was meant ... hinted to describe an experience that has some psychological coloring or emotional undertones. My friend had this experience when she was in a state of depression. "I was awake at 3:00 AM ... and in the still of the night, everything was calm and quiet ... the silence was so deafening ... I was practically covering my ears."

Deafening silence could also mean an absence of response, especially in a situation signifying one's disapproval and lack of enthusiasm. When the president of the company said we are closing the shop ... the room was filled with a deafening silence. Or when the actress was confronted with the "pregnancy scandal" ... she responded with a deafening silence.

Other popular oxymorons are:

1.  silent scream

2. old news

3. pretty ugly

4. clearly confused

5. Original copy

6. true lies

7. plastic silverware

8. paper towel

9. working vacation

10. virtual reality

More examples: cruel kindness, small crowd, sweet sorrow, found missing, almost exactly, minor crisis, exact estimate, liquid gas, seriously funny, tragic comedy, constant variable, only choice, extinct life, genuine imitation, plastic glasses, dark light, definitely maybe, growing smaller, painfully beautiful, passive-aggressive, random order, walking dead, weirdly normal, great depression, painful pleasure, disgustingly delicious, awfully good, political correctness, weapons of peace, foolish wisdom, poor health, unbiased opinion, terribly pleased, dry lake, fuzzy logic, free gift, crash landing, once again, detailed summary, punk music, civil servant, awfully nice, regularly irregular, slumber party, assisted suicide, love hate, student teacher, run slowly, advanced basic, big baby, classic novel, scented deodorant, one-man band, drag race, absolutely unsure, active retirement, almost always, bad luck, calculated risk, civil disobedience, clear as mud, classic rock, cold sweat, conservative liberal, consistently inconsistent, criminal justice, critically acclaimed, foreign national, gamble responsibly, last initial, limited freedom,modern history, new tradition, non-alcoholic beer, nothing much, numbing sensation, organized chaos, partially completed, perfectly normal, practice test, recent past, required donation, resident alien, retired worker,science fiction, safe bet, safety hazard, short distance, social outcast, think out loud, unfunny joke,  tough love, young adult and many more.

Is This An Oxymoron or A Paradox?

This is just a test. After learning reading the two above posts we learn the difference between an Oxymoron and a Paradox.  

So what does this picture say: Is this an oxymoron or a paradox?