Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5
#118229 12/25/03 08:13 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
In reply to:

In a moment I had become aware that we were swine cast before a pearl."



wwh quotes this phrase below the equator.


This is such a lovely rhetorical turn that we may have discussed and I simply was not a good enough student and didn't learn what I should have, but...

What is it called rhetorically when we take a well-known expression and reverse it about? It's very clever, it's commonly used by politicians and comedians alike (and it could be argued that they are one and the same), so I would like to know what they are doing when they do it...


#118230 12/25/03 08:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
For openers there's the vice-versa joke. E.G.
He liked to snatch kisses and vice versa.


#118231 12/25/03 08:21 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Ha!!!!!!!!!! I think that's a bit different from what I was thinking, wwh, but, lordy, lordy, you've brought out a big laugh from me!

When tsuwm or Faldage returns here, we'll get down to what the rhetorical turn is called...


#118232 12/26/03 01:29 AM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
M
addict
Offline
addict
M
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
I am not sure of the term, WW, but, parody and satire come imediately to mind. I can give you a delicious example however, of the exact same thing -
'Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory'.

I have seen this turn of phrase commonly used by hacks in cricket reporting. (At least in the Indian pages; that is about the only cricket news I catch up with) Don't know that it is specific to this game; shanks or max might know more.


#118233 12/26/03 07:05 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
It's something of a cliche, particularly beloved of sports writers, certainly not unique to cricket. I believe it was originally used by someone to describe a spectacularly unsuccessful general. I don't know who or which general, though.

Bingley


Bingley
#118234 12/26/03 07:09 AM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
[quote]I have seen this turn of phrase commonly used by hacks in cricket reporting. (At least in the Indian pages; that is about the only cricket news I catch up with)


Well, you won't be seeing much of it, then. The boys from Bharat have made another another flier, and look like crushing the Aussies in the Boxing Day test. (Please excuse me while I shed a tear for my trans-Tasman neighbours' abject humiliation)


#118235 12/26/03 09:44 AM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
M
addict
Offline
addict
M
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
crushing the Aussies in the Boxing Day test

huh? what! are they repeating Adelaide; am a little behind. Is dear Dravid at it again? Max, those tears are surely croc..come on now, say it's so(rushing off to check...with circley fists and loud joyous whoops...)


#118236 12/26/03 03:16 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
G
addict
Offline
addict
G
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
When tsuwm or Faldage return, we'll get down to what the rhetorical turn is called.

Until then, how about inverted metaphor [or "inverted aphorism"]?

"The Inverted Metaphor:

In the inverted metaphor, the primary and secondary subjects are switched in the sentence frame to create an "adjective-noun" construction. Here's an example:

foxy John

and you may snicker because you realize that, in English as in the idioms of other languages as well, "word order" affects "word meaning"--that "John, the fox" doesn't carry quite the same message as "foxy John"!"






#118237 12/26/03 03:35 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
I think satire and parody are much too broad here, maahey, for what has been done with swine before pearl in this instance.

The inverted aphorism takes another track completely.

There are hundreds of rhetorical devices that have very specific functions, and I would suspect that there is a very specific turn for taking a commonly known expression, inverting it, to bring new nuance to the meaning of the tried and true old phrase.

Thanks, grapho, for the suggestion. I'm on hold for this one...


#118238 12/26/03 03:41 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
G
addict
Offline
addict
G
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
"on hold"

If a single word is required, metaphrasis might be considered [in its secondary meaning]:

metaphrasis - metaphrase:
....
To manipulate the wording of (a text), especially as a means of subtly altering the sense.

But, I hasten to add, Wordwind, that there is not a single word to render "inverted metaphor" [as far as I know*], so why do we 'hold out' for a single word to render "inverted aphorism" - an obvious relation of the "inverted metaphor"?

*subject to the illumination of higher authority, of course.

Sometimes, less is more, I agree. But, sometimes, less is simply less precise.



Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5