Hello. There is a word describing the act of "saying something by saying you're not going to say it." Such as in "I'm not going to say I told you so." The word is in my head somewhere but I can't recall it. Any ideas? Thanks!
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
January 13, 2007, 16:41
Kalleh
Welcome, Buraian! See my PM.
Arnie, that's a nice site. I see it has one of my favorite words: "oligarchy."
It sounds similar to anapodoton (an-a-PO-do-ton), but that's not it. I wrote a limerick for OEDILF on anapodoton, which is when a main clause is suggested by the introduction of a subordinate clause, but that main clause never occurs.
Here's the limerick:
"If you think I am going to take Your insults..." [...you make a mistake]. That rhet'ric device Is the overconcise Anapodoton — no, it's not fake!
January 14, 2007, 03:01
Richard English
And Kalleh's effirts led me to ask Philology Pete what he thought on the topic of anapadoton. This is what he had to say:
If you've heard of Philology Pete And those things he does, out on the street... That rhetorical pause Is the drop-the-main-clause Anapodoton's lexical feat.
Richard English
January 14, 2007, 16:28
tinman
quote:
Originally posted by Buraian: Hello. There is a word describing the act of "saying something by saying you're not going to say it." Such as in "I'm not going to say I told you so." The word is in my head somewhere but I can't recall it. Any ideas? Thanks!
I don't have the expertise to really evaluate this site but, of course, I won't let that stop me. But maybe those who really do know what they're talking about (or think they know what they're talking about) can evaluate it for me.
Tinman
January 14, 2007, 16:45
BobHale
OneLook's quick definition for apophasis is "mentioning something by saying it will not be mentioned".
Sounds spot on to the original query for me.
And of course the OEDILF has this
apophasis by Virge (Virgil Keys)
Apophasis: I'll never say That it means giving secrets away When, by slip or pretension, You casually mention The things that you shouldn't betray.
a-POPH-a-sis means mentioning something by saying it will not be mentioned. WPSI
and this
apophasis by Chuck Folkers
I can neither confirm nor deny That apophasis ought to apply When a fact is denied But denial's belied By a comment allowed to slip by.
(uh-PAH-fuh-sis)
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
January 16, 2007, 23:04
Buraian
Apophasis! That's it. Thank you. I knew I came to the right place.