The Art of Wordplay: Understanding 20 Different Figures of Speech

Foul-spoken means using language that is rude, offensive, or inappropriate. It can include swearing, cursing, or making derogatory comments.

12. What is a euphemism ?
Ans. A euphemism is a mild or indirect word or expression used to avoid offense or unpleasantness. For example, "passed away" is a euphemism for "died."

13. What is a double entendre ?
Ans. A double entendre is a phrase or sentence that has two meanings, one of which is explicit and the other implicit or suggestive. It can be used to add humor or create a play on words.

14. What is a malapropism ?
Ans. A malapropism is the use of an incorrect word in place of a correct one, often with humorous effect. For example, saying "I'm going to the bank" when you mean "I'm going to the beach."

15. What is a pleonasm ?
Ans. A pleonasm is the use of more words than necessary to express an idea. For example, saying "a bunch of grapes" instead of just "grapes."

16. What is a redundancy ?
Ans. A redundancy is the repetition of a word or phrase that has already been stated. For example, saying "I'm going to the store to buy some milk and eggs" when you could simply say "I'm going to the store to buy milk and eggs."

17. What is a tautology ?
Ans. A tautology is a statement that is always true by definition. For example, "all bachelors are unmarried" is a tautology because it is always true that a bachelor is someone who is not married.

18. What is a cliché ?
Ans. A cliché is an overused or commonplace expression or idea that has lost its originality and impact. For example, "a picture is worth a thousand words" is a cliché because it has been used so many times that it no longer has any real impact.

19. What is an oxymoron ?
Ans. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two words or phrases that seem to be contradictory. For example, "jumbo shrimp" is an oxymoron because jumbo and shrimp are both words that don't typically go together.

20. What is an onomatopoeia ?
Ans. An onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it describes. For example, "buzz" is an onomatopoeia because it sounds like the noise a bee makes.