Figures of speech

Made by: Ruchi Agarwal

Litotes (lie-toe-teez)

 The classic example of litotes is the phrase “not bad.” By negating the
word “bad,” you’re saying that something is good, or at least OK.
However, in most contexts it’s an understatement.
“Thank you, ma’am, you won’t regret it.”
 Litotes also generally gives the expression a biting, ironic tone.
 Examples
 not the sharpest tool in the shed
 not the brightest crayon in the box
 not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
 Transferred epithet
 A transferred epithet often involves shifting a modifier from the
animate to the inanimate.
 EXAMPLES
“I cant beat my sad heart again”
. “Today was a wonderful day“
“I’m enduring the sleepless nights
again”
 This is an example of a transferred epithet, because the ‘heart'
was not sad but you felt sad
 The day wasn’t wonderful but the events that day were pleasant.
 Again, the night was not sleepless, you were.
Tautology (toe toh luh gee)

 Tautology is an expression or phrase that says the same thing

twice, just in a different way. 

 Example: I went to see him personally.

 This is an example of tautology, because the adverb "personally"

repeats the idea already expressed in the single word "I". The
addition of "personally" is used for emphasis. The word
"personally" doesn't add any new information and could be cut
from the sentence without changing its meaning.
Climax vs Anticlimax
Climax
it is the arrangement of a series of ideas I order of increasing importance
 Examples
 I
came, I saw, I conquered.
 He begs, he lies,
he steals, he kills for gold.

Anticlimax
The plot has built up, but then something disappointing happens.
 Examples
 Tension builds in a horror movie as a young girl approaches a closed
door. There is a scratching sound coming from behind the door. When
she opens it, a cat comes out.
Antithesis vs oxymoron
Both are very similar

Antithesis
“Yes we’re living and dying at the same time”
“the morning will come again because no
darkness, no season can last forever
Is an example of antithesis as it has two
different concepts together

Oxymoron
Only choice
Living dead
Open secret
Are two words that are contradicting each
other
Irony

 Verbal Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that
their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning
 Situational irony occurs when an expected outcome does not happen, or its
opposite happens instead. Situational irony is also sometimes called an irony of
events. The outcome can be serious or humorous, but it is always unexpected.
Example
What a great idea (when a foolish idea is proposed)
A fire station burns down.
A child runs away from someone throwing a water balloon at him and falls into the
pool
’
Puns

 WORD PLAY
‘Legendary’ puns:
 What do you call a famous turtle?
A SHELLebrity
 How do you make holy water?
You boil the hell out of it
 Have you ever tried eating a clock?
No…its very time consuming