Johnny-on-the-Spot …by John Foster .

Any word that has “moron” in it catches my attention so you can understand why I was curious about “Oxymoron Day”.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech where two seemingly contradictory or opposite words are placed next to each other to create a new, often poetic or ironic, meaning.

“Jumbo shrimp”.

“Plastic silverware”.

“Old news”

It’s from the ancient Greek words “oxys” (sharp) and “:moros (dull or stupid)..

Oxymorons are more than just clever phrases; they reflect real-life situations where opposites coexist.

They’re found in literature, songwriting and everyday speech to help explain complex thoughts or ideas.

So, is an oxymoron a paradox?

Not really, but they are closely related.

A paradox is a broader concept, a full sentence or idea that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.

“This is the beginning of the end”.

An oxymoron is a two-word (sometimes 3-word) phrase with opposite meanings.

“Defeaning silence”.

Both have contradictions.

With an oxymoron, it’s in the words while with a paradox, it’s in the logic.

There’s style, irony and nuance in an oxymoron while a paradox has a deeper meaning or philosophical depth.

“Awfully good”.

“Pretty ugly”.

“Found missing”.

Oxymorons have been used since the days of the ancienty Greek poets.

William Shakespeare used to sprinkle them throughout his plays, poems and sonnets.

From “Romeo and Juliet”, Act 1, Scene 1, there are 13 oxymorons.

“O brawling love! O loving hate!

O anything of nothing first create!

O heavy lightness, serious vanity!

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!

This love I feel. that feel no love in this.”

The oxymorons have made it into modern comedy and politics.

William F. Buckley, the conservative political writer said, “An intelligent liberal is an oxymoron.

Comedian George Carlin wss credited with “military intelligence” and “:business ethics”.

Used as “rhetorical devices”, oxymorons have been employed in a number of different mediums such as political speeches to novels, to stage plays.

From Jack London’s “Call of the Wild”, “All the pain he had endured was nothing compared with the exquisite agony of this”.

Alexander Pope gave us, “The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, with loads of learned lumber in his head”.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson gave us, “His honour rooted in dishonour stood, and faith unfaithfuly kept him falsely true”.

Oxymorons have deeper meanings and are much more memorable than non-contradictory words so they work great as key points in writing to boost reader engagement.

There’s an inherent setup from using contradictory words, making oxymorons good at tickly the funny bone.

Clara Barton said, “I distinctly remember forgetting that” while Andy Warhol told all, “I am a deeply superficial person”.

How about a laundry list, of sorts, with oxymorons?

“Alone together”.

:”Cheerful pessimist”.

“Civil war”. (One of my favorites.)

“Clearly misunderstood”.

“Conspicuous absence”.

“Dull roar”.

“Unbiased opinion”.

“Recorded live”.

“Plastic glass”.

“Definite maybe”.

“Working vacation”.

“Terribly good”.

“Paper tablecloth”.

“Seriously funny”.

“Larger half”.

“Loud whisper”.

“Found missing”.

“Genuine imitation”.

“Tight slacks”.

“Constant change”.

Now paradoxes are “head shakers” if you ask me.

“The Grandfather Paradox” (Time Travel)…If you travel back in time and kill your grandfather before your parent was conceived, you would never be born.

“The Liar Paradox” (Logic)…A simple statement says, “This statement is false”. If the statement is actually false, then it must be true. But, if it is true, then it must be false”.

The Lottery Paradox” (Could be either (Mega Millions or Powerball, I suppose)…If there is one winning ticket in a large lottery, it is reasonable to believe of any particular lottery ticket that it is not the winning ticket. But, it is not reasonable to believe that no lottery ticket will win.

And I used to think that “paradox” was just two physicians.

Now “oxymoron” is an autological word.

It describes itself.

Dolly Parton reminded us when asked about her flashy fashion sense, “You’d be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap”.

Then there’s former Yankee great Yogo Berra who reminded us, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it”.

Or as Charlie Brown would say, “Good grief!”

Did that go over like a lead balloon?