Oxymoron phrase

1.

2.

Oxymoron is a figure of
speech in which two
opposite ideas are
joined to create an
effect. The common
oxymoron phrase is a
combination of
an adjective proceede
d by a noun with
contrasting meanings,
such as “cruel
kindness,” or “living
death”.

3.

The structural pattern
a. attributive structures
(the most widely known
structure)
The examples
"with careful
carelessness" (Dickens)
b. verbal structures
"to shout mutely" fining
Shaw) "to cry silently" (Wilson)
c.
"the street damaged by
improvements"
(O. Henry) "silence was louder
than thunder"
(Updike)
non-attributive structures
d. adverbial-attributive
structures
"awfully pretty" (Cusack)

4.

Oxymora rarely
become trite, for their
components, linked
forcibly, repulse each
other and oppose
repeated use. There
are few colloquial
oxymora. all of them
showing a high degree
of the speaker's
emotional involvement
in the situation, as in
"damn nice." "awfully
pretty".

5.

For instance: pay attention to the structure
and semantics of the oxymora. Also notice
which of their members conveys the
individually viewed feature of the object and
which one reflects its generally accepted
characteristic

6.

7.

Living Dead (that is a zombie – живой труп)
• Sweet sorrow (сладкая печаль)
• Sweet Revenge (сладкая месть)
• Anti-Terrorism War (антитеррористическая война)
• Practical Theory and Theoretical Practice (практическая теория,
теоретическая практика)
• Angry Patient (Взбешённый пациент; другое значение «Patient» —
спокойный)
• Deafening Silence (оглушающая тишина)
• Bittersweet (горько-сладкий, ну очень часто встречается в
текстах песен)
• Great Depression (Великая Депрессия — мировой экономический
кризис)
• Alone together (одиноки вместе)
• Virtual reality (виртуальная реальность)
• Random order (случайный порядок)
• Original copy (оригинальная копия)
• Disgustingly delicious (отвратительно вкусный)
• Passive aggressive (пассивно-агрессивный)
• Appear invisible (казаться невидимым)
• Big baby (большой ребенок)
• Unpopular celebrity (непопулярная знаменитость)