Figures of Speech Served Fresh

Weigh Things Side by Side

Dilemmas, comparisons and contrasts.

The first person on record to say "There are two sides to everything" was Protagoras, a great Greek Sophist ("Wise One").  We don’t entirely agree.

a fortiori (ah-for-tee-AR-ee)
The Mikey-likes it! argument. If something less likely is true, then something more likely is bound to be true.

alloiosis (al-oy-OH-sis)
The this-isn’t-that figure.

analogy (an-AL-oh-gee)
The figure of parallel cases.

antapodosis (an-tah-POE-doe-sis
A multiple simile. It compares two things that match in more than one way.

antisagoge (an-tis-ah-GO-gee)
The balanced argument.

antithesis (ann-TIH-the-sis)
The figure of contrasting ideas.
Also see this.

ceratin (se-RAT-in)
The horns of a dilemma.

chiasmus (kee-AZZ-muss)
The criss-cross figure.
Also see this.

dialysis (die-AL-ih-sis)
The either/or figure.

dilemma
The damned-if-you-do-or-don’t figure.

enantiosis (en-an-tie-OH-sis)
The paradoxical contrast.
Also see this.

eutrepismus (eu-tra-PIS-mus)
The enumerating figure.

isocolon (i-so-CO-lon)
The figure of similar clauses.

paromoiosis (pa-ro-moi-OH-sis)
Similar-sounding clauses laid side by side.

syncrisis (SIN-crih-sis)
The not-that-but-this figure.
Also see this.