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The word "malapropism" (and its earlier form, "malaprop") comes from a character named "Mrs. Malaprop" in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals. [2] Mrs. Malaprop frequently misspeaks (to comic effect) by using words which do not have the meaning that she intends but which sound similar to words that do.
Standard: The speaker droned on, his words like a powerful sleeping gas slowly diffusing through the stuffy air of the auditorium. Standard: The spotlights went dark, leaving the scene lit only by the diffuse glow of the lanterns. Non-standard: Houston was aware it was happening and worked to diffuse the campaign late in the process. [42]
A euphemism for the word "kill" or other death-related terms, often in the context of suicide. This word is often used to circumvent social media algorithms, especially TikTok, from censoring or demonetizing content that involves death-related terms. [163] understood the assignment To understand what was supposed to be done; to do something well.
In written language, removing words that are not strictly necessary sometimes makes writing seem stilted or awkward, especially if the words are cut from an idiomatic expression. On the other hand, as is the case with any literary or rhetorical effect, excessive use of pleonasm weakens writing and speech; words distract from the content.
In many cases, the postulated etymologies are not recognized by linguists or the Oxford English Dictionary, such as to dig, [108] jazz, [109] tote, [109] and bad-mouth, a calque from Mandinka. [110] African American slang is formed by words and phrases that are regarded as informal.
Also apophthegm. A terse, pithy saying, akin to a proverb, maxim, or aphorism. aposiopesis A rhetorical device in which speech is broken off abruptly and the sentence is left unfinished. apostrophe A figure of speech in which a speaker breaks off from addressing the audience (e.g., in a play) and directs speech to a third party such as an opposing litigant or some other individual, sometimes ...
Forget bad blood — bad words on Taylor Swift's albums before "The Tortured Poets Department" drastically increased since her 2006 eponymous debut, according to an unscientific Reddit chart.
Profanity is often depicted in images by grawlixes, which substitute symbols for words.. Profanity, also known as swearing, cursing, or cussing, involves the use of notionally offensive words for a variety of purposes, including to demonstrate disrespect or negativity, to relieve pain, to express a strong emotion, as a grammatical intensifier or emphasis, or to express informality or ...