About This Site

Figaro rips the innards out of things people say and reveals the rhetorical tricks and pratfalls. For terms and definitions, click here.
(What are figures of speech?)
Ask Figaro a question!

This form does not yet contain any fields.

    Search
    « See Harriet Judge. Judge, Harriet, Judge. | Main | What Do You Call No-Bid Contracting? Halliburtin’. »
    Monday
    Oct032005

    What’s O.J.'s Next Gig? A Knife Convention?

    DateMonday, October 3, 2005 at 09:30AM

    horror.3.jpgQuote:  "I'm not doing this for my health." O.J. Simpson, appearing at a horror comic book convention.

    Figure of Speech:  litotes (lie TOE tees), the negative understatement

    The litotes makes a point by denying its opposite.  The result is an ironic understatement, and an appropriate answer to a stupid question.   "I'm not doing this out of good taste"  would have made a better litotes.  Still, showing up at a horror convention after being acquitted of a double murder certainly isn't healthy.

    Snappy Answer:  "Instead of signing my comic book, can you stab it?"

    AuthorFigaro | CommentPost a Comment |
    Print ArticlePrint Article

    PrintView Printer Friendly Version

    EmailEmail Article to Friend

    Reader Comments

    There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

    PostPost a New Comment

    Enter your information below to add a new comment.

    My response is on my own website »
    Author Email (optional):
    Author URL (optional):
    Post:
     
    All HTML will be escaped. Hyperlinks will be created for URLs automatically.

    Notify me of follow-up comments via email.