hy·per·bo·le
[hahy-pur-buh-lee]
–noun Rhetoric
1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.
2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.” or "Now, in my humble, but correct opinion, it is time to wipe Pakistan off the map and smear her remains on someone's wall like so much nasal mucus."
It seems some people, who shall remain nameless, but whose initials are Shawe Kenawe and Xavier Onassis, know only two literary devices: simile and metaphor.
They cannot fathom that over-the-top exageration can be used to make a point.
The above quoted sentence began with "Now, in my humble, but correct opinion..."
That should have been an immediate tip-off that something was coming, because an opinion cannot be both humble and proclaimed correct.
See, the "correct" part of the statement would negate the "humble" part.
The simile, "...like so much nasal mucus," was added to present a pictuesque (if somewhat gross) emphasis to the sentence...to grab attention...which it obviously did.
It was a play on the old, gross teen joke, "Remember, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't wipe your friends on the wall."
To the normal mind, "...it is time to wipe Pakistan off the map..." would not be taken literally, because it would require someone with really big hands, using a really big Wet Nap.
Here is an example of hyperbole that comes from a famous writer, William Safire: "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times; resist hyperbole."
Hyperbole is a figure of speech which is an exaggeration. Persons often use expressions such as "I nearly died laughing," "I was hopping mad," and "I tried a thousand times." Such statements are not literally true, but people make them to sound impressive or to emphasize something, such as a feeling, effort, or reaction.
Just remember: ONE SHOULD NEVER, NEVER, EVER OVERUSE THE LITERARY DIVICE CALLED "HYPERBOLE."
OVERUSE OF HYPERBOLE JUST CONFUSES LIBERALS AND PROGRESSIVES, BECAUSE OF THEIR TOTALLY CLOSED, NARROW MINDS.
11 comments:
when two twits get into a tit argument over What a putz we have for a President you know that we are doing something right..
Use this to your advantage, Joe. You're one of the unusual fringe right wingers who actually seems embarrassed by his massive blood lust.
Ducky: I have no blood lust and I'm not embarrassed.
Nice try, though.
Funny how the likes of Shawe Kenawe and Xavier Onassis disappear when presented with a breath of intelligence.
Neither of them has seemingly ever heard of hyperbole, never mind ever accepting it as a literary device.
There are other related literary devices that are similar: outrageousness; exageration (related to hyperbole), sarcasm, satire (the real thing, not the ridicule of Saturday Night Live, which is unrelated to satire), and many more that liberal/progressives are too ignorant to understand.
Sos true, Joe, I've thought that myself...
I do have a problem with this:[hahy-pur-buh-lee]
Do YOU say HAHY perbole? !!
Ducky... would that there were more "fringe right wingers"...we could MAYBE save the country. (don't look now, but that 'fringe' is growing every day more info comes out of the WH lately)
Z: I've never figured out how to phonetically write hyperbole, so I used what I found in the dictionary.
Joe - Mark Twain once said:
'Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.'
No matter whether I agree with what you say I think you're smart.
I said that.
sue: I think I thank you.
Since I think, I must be.
What I be remains to be seen.
I think.
I can't stop laughing, Joe, as Ducky makes your point!
Joe, your "explaining" doesn't change the facts.
You wrote a post about genocide, then wrote another one stating this:
"You liberal/progressives who think I don't know what I'm talking about have ridiculed me for saying we should annihilate Pakistan.
Well, this is America...you have the right to be wrong...and you are."
Nowhere in that statement do you explain that your were using hyperbole to make a point. You state that those of us who would dare to criticize your genocidal rhetoric are wrong.
Only after I called you on your insane suggestion and after I wrote about it on my blog did you come up with your lame explanation, which isn't in any way, shape, or form a "breath of fresh air." (BTW, inappropriate metaphor there.)
It's obvious to anyone who is honest with himself that you wrote two nutty posts about annihilating a country of 190+ million men, women, and children. Then realized what a horrendous thing that was to post.
What would you have thought of a blogger who suggested the annihilation of Israel?
Anyway, we accept your apology for posting something as inhuman as you did. Apparently you've thought about your words and are trying to defend them by saying they were hyperbole.
You, and I and others know better.
Now carry on bashing the President of the United States of America.
That's what you're really good at.
SK: "You, and I and others know better."
You and others, maybe...not I.
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