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Deliberations over what to wear to the summer office party are arduous. Do you wear shorts and swimwear? Fail to dress down at a summer barbecue and risk seeming way too uptight. Dress down too much and risk leaving a lasting impression that, even if good, can be bad.

The bottom line is that making work seem more lifelike can end up showing how much work and life are at odds - kind of like the words "office party" and "business casual."

quote:

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Can you come up with an oxymoron that contains a homograph and a contranym? Come on, Wordcrafters!

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I was re-reading this thread and saw this challenge that no one rose to and no one answered! I can't come up with a homographic/contranymic oymoron, but how about two words that are homophones and antonyms?

raze and raise

I'm dragging this back from the dead to post this one I heard today: Free Interest Yeah, suuuuuure! Damned hucksters...

I think I saw that mailing also. I won't mention the bank.

These mailings are called "creatives" by marketers, which has always struck me as inappropriately appropriate.

for the sake of being contemporary...

compassionate conservative

I've always wondered whether artificial intelligence is an oxymoron.

Class Cynic speaking here... how about "temporary tax" ?

Considering how little humankind has collectively learned through the millinea, I feel that intelligence itself is oxymoronic. As proof I offer gods, generals, politicians, and real estate developers.

...intelligence itself is oxymoronic...

Not an oxymoron, merely a Pious Hope...

quote:

Originally posted by Frank Hubeny:
I've always wondered whether artificial intelligence is an oxymoron.

You didn't append a smileyface, so I'm assuming your tongue is extrabuccal ...

The prototypical oxymoron (aside from 'oxymoron') is 'sophomore' (wise fool), so AI doesn't seem to qualify, since it doesn't juxtapose two polar opposites.

We can of course debate whether AI is a contentless topic, but that's another matter.

I've noticed that we sometimes -- myself not excepted -- will label something as oxymoronic that we don't like or believe in, often to humorous effect. One hoary example is "military intelligence" -- which would only be an oxymoron if a) ALL military were stupid and b) intelligence did not mean (in this context) gathering information.

Which reminds me of "Military justice is to justice as military music is to music" -- sort of an implied oxymoronic couplet.

Putdown hemidemisemioxymorons are easy to make up: "honest lawyer", "soothing heavy-metal rock" (and "exciting New Age music") "pessimistic investors", "modest CEOs", "open-minded fundamentalists" ...


Phroggye

quote:

Originally posted by haberdasher:
...intelligence itself is oxymoronic...

Not an oxymoron, merely a Pious Hope...

Or used as a synonym for hubris.

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
QT in the Chicago Sun Times has referenced wordcraft before and periodically refers to wordcrafter's words. Today, he answered a reader's question about what it's called when one word has 2 different pronunciations and meanings, i.e. arithMETic and ARITHmetic; it's called a homograph.

Then QT posed this challenge, of course assuming that no one would get it. We have the most creative people in the world on this site. Let's surprise him!

Can you come up with an oxymoron that contains a homograph and a contranym? Come on, Wordcrafters!

It is a few years late, but how about...

Spring - to release from custody or imprisonment.
Springe - a snare for small animals.

So a "springer-springer" would have to be a member of the catch and release club, or is it rescue then capture, or maybe he just bails out incarcerated trappers?

quote:

Originally posted by Myth Jellies:
Spring - to release from custody or imprisonment.
Springe - a snare for small animals.

So a "springer-springer" would have to be a member of the catch and release club, or is it rescue then capture, or maybe he just bails out incarcerated trappers?

...and a 'Springer-springer-springer" would go around releasing spaniels ?

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...and a 'Springer-springer-springer" would go around releasing spaniels ?

What if he released them on the Jerry Springer show?

You have that sewage in the UK!?!? I hope they only show it in the fall, not the spring!

Jerry Springer

Former mayor of Cincinnati, OH, and talk show host, Jerry Springer, is now an opera. A review on the BBC site. Pretty funny.

Bully has an interesting history. From Etymology Online...

quote:

bully (n.)
1538, originally "sweetheart," applied to either sex, from Du. boel "lover, brother," probably dim. of M.H.G. buole "brother," of uncertain origin (cf. Ger. buhle "lover"). Meaning deteriorated 17c. through "fine fellow," "blusterer," to "harasser of the weak" (1653). Perhaps this was by infl. of bull, but a connecting sense between "lover" and "ruffian" may be in "protector of a prostitute," which was one sense of bully (though not specifically attested until 1706). The verb is first attested 1710. The expression meaning "worthy, jolly, admirable" (esp. in 1864 U.S. slang bully for you!) is first attested 1681, and preserves an earlier, positive sense of the word.

A bully bully is a worthy, jolly, admirable harrasser of the weak?

Bully beef was a staple ration in the army and navy. It's also known as corned beef, although the American-style corned beef is sold here as salt beef. Confused? I am.

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Originally posted by zmježd:
Jerry Springer

Former mayor of Cincinnati, OH, and talk show host, Jerry Springer, is now...

Oh, I am so ashamed of my hometown! At least I wasn't living there anymore when he was elected, so I can say my hands are clean. I cannot understand any of these reality talk shows in which members of dysfunctional families gladly go on the air to air all of their dirty laundry before the entire universe. Arrrrrgh.

WM

Sorry to offend, but I heard that Jerry Springer was originally British. Is that correct? For the sake of the UK, I hope not. I guess the Americans are stuck with him - and Ricky Lake. Egads.

Yep, you are right! He was born in London! Hee! Hee!

I have always despised the guy, and now I feel a little sorry for him. His parents were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. Also, he graduated from law school at Northwestern Univeersity, which is in our backyard (not really, but you know what I mean!). Oh, well. I don't feel too sorry for him.

If we have to lay claim to Jerry Springer we want Bob Hope back as well!

(Nice to see you mark)

quote:

If we have to lay claim to Jerry Springer we want Bob Hope back as well!

Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel as well, please...

You want Bob Hope and Laurel & Hardy back? You'll have to dig them up first. As for Springer, I WISH you'd have to dig him up.

I'd rather we had Cat Deeley back!

Can we let them keep Tracey Ullman?

We'll take Hugh Grant!

quote:

You want Bob Hope and Laurel & Hardy back?

I was speaking in spirit, not in body! And not Oliver Hardy - he was American (born in Georgia), although his parents were of British descent). Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston, in northern England. He rarely spoke in his films with Oliver Hardy (who had enough rabbit for both of them) but when he did his voice had no trace of an American accent.

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We'll take Hugh Grant!

mmmmmmm tasty

I'd also gladly keep Alan Rickman, Ewan McGregor and Sean Connery.

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Can we let them keep Tracey Ullman?

Did you know she's recently taken up knitting again? I have her latest book checked out from the library at the moment.

Hugh Grant? Tasty?
No doubt that's also what that woman in Los Angeles said when the police arrested Grant.

Returning to the theme: oxymorons.

Many years ago we bought a new Chevrolet and asked for the day/night mirror (this is before everything was included in the purchase price). The salesman said we could get it along with four or five other accessories, including a cigarette lighter.

Thinking we could save a few bucks, we told him neither of us smoked so we didn't want or need the lighter. He said all the accessories came as a "mandatory option," and we had to take everything or nothing.

how about..

black light

or light black?

Hmm, noticed this thread a bit late in the day, but still seem to have caught it in time to be the first to post my all-time favourite oxymoron: Microsoft Works

I saw what I thought was one in a headline today. It began "Disgraced lawyer...".