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Figaro rips the innards out of things people say and reveals the rhetorical tricks and pratfalls. For terms and definitions, click here.
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    Tuesday
    Nov152005

    They Don’t Hold a Candle to You

    DateTuesday, November 15, 2005 at 08:59AM

    princecharles.tampon.jpgQuote:  "Appalling old wax works."  Prince Charles, referring to the leaders of Communist China in 1997 journal excerpts just published by a London newspaper.

    Figure of Speech:  periphrasis (per IF rah sis), the figure that swaps a description for a proper name.

    Who knew the jug-eared royal was such a poet?  Our estimation for the perpetual prince goes way up, thanks to his use of a periphrasis (Greek for "to speak around").

    The Brits seem especially good at this form of circumlocution.  There's He- who- must- not- be- named in the Harry Potter books, and She- who- must- be- obeyed in John Mortimer's Rumpole mysteries.

    And then there's Figaro, who snuck in three periphrases ("jug-eared royal," "perpetual prince" and "Your Weirdship" below) and feels very proud of himself.

    Snappy Answer:  "Didn't you once tell Camilla you wished you were a tampon?  That's appalling."

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