Word For The Day, Thursday, June 19, 2008 - litotes

dictionaries ad nauseum, internet | 19 June 2008 | secret garden

[secret garden]

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In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".

litotes • \LYE-tuh-teez\ • noun
understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary

Example sentence:
Jamie blushingly acknowledged her victory by litotes, saying that her scores were "not bad" and that she was "not displeased" with her performance.

Etymology:
Even if you've never heard the word "litotes," chances are you've encountered this figure of speech. If you've ever approved of a job well done by exclaiming "Not bad!" or told someone that you are "not unhappy" when you are ecstatic, you've even used it yourself. In fact, you might say that it would be "no mean feat" to avoid this common feature of our language! And litotes isn't only common; it's also "simple" -- etymologically speaking, that is. "Litotes" evolved from a Greek word meaning "simple," and perhaps ultimately from another Greek word meaning "linen cloth."

The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day. The Review threads are linked for your edification. ;-)
Practice makes perfect.....post on....

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Review Threads:

Review Thread One: Word For The Day, Thursday 11/14/02: Raffish (Be SURE to check out posts #92 and #111 on this thread!)
Review Thread Two: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/14/03: Roister
Review Thread Three: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/28/03: Obdurate

WFB's attempt to emulate us ; ) No pushing at the door please!

[secret garden]

Rise and shine!

[tioga]

HERE!

[theDentist]

Mornin’ folks. Let’s all have a great- OMG I LEFT MRS. PURCIVEL STRAPPED TO THE CHAIR LAST NIGHT! BRB!!

[secret garden]

[secret garden]

[NicknamedBob]

Good Morning!

This is close, but it isn't litotes when we say of John McCain that for a leader of the Republican Party, he isn't a bad candidate.

It's just a simple delusion.

[NeoCaveman]

3

[secret garden]

Good point!

[secret garden]

Missed it by that much!

[theDentist]

Where was I? Oh yes, let's have a great and exciting day.

I need to talk with my lawyer about a wee problem that he may need to help with...

[xsmommy]

i smell a malpractice suit...

[theDentist]

Theoretically, before I sent her home, I gave her a couple meds, spilled some brandy on her blouse, put matches from a local dive in her pocket and called a cabbie I know. He got $150 to tell her family he picked her up outside that dive.

[NeoCaveman]

My litotes example

Ann Coulter's latest column is not half bad. "Justice Kennedy: American Idle"

[secret garden]

A+ for you!

[xsmommy]

Not your BK Whopper.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Bill Clinton has many detractors, but even his fiercest critics often employ the litotes that Clinton wasn’t so bad because Jimmy Carter was worse. In my opinion, neither of them could have successfully cleaned toilets without screwing up royally. Al Gore, who almost held George W. Bush to a tie, lost his chance to be even worse than Carter when, in 2000, “The Supreme Court favored Bush’s election, and thus stole it from Gore,” as the democrat mantra goes. Actually, what happened is that Bush really did win, and the Court agreed: “Bush got more votes, so let it stand.”

Analyst and former Clintonoid, Dick Morris, when he is not too engrossed in his Top Ten Toe List, often has an interesting take on the upcoming election. He thinks that Hawaiian-born Obama (one of the original lei tots) might prove to be too scary for Joe Six-Pack to support. Of course, the dems believe that it’s their turn to win the title, so their candidate’s foibles and shortcomings are swept under the rug. The big test, oil, and the candidates’ approach to it, could be the deciding factor.

[xsmommy]

one of the original lei tots

LOL!!!

[CholeraJoe]

Risen but not shining. Everything I’ve done so far today turns into carp.

[NeoCaveman]

Did you hear your congressman doing his Hugo Chavez impression yesterday? He wants to nationalize the refining industry.

[xsmommy]

mama said there’d be days like this.

[CholeraJoe]

My whole week has been like that. I need a backrub and a mamada.

[xsmommy]

that’s nice : )

[tioga]

Yes....proving what an idiot he is once again....usually he only gets local air time when he is bringing home the pork.

[NeoCaveman]

I just hope his opponent beats him over the head with this.

[xsmommy]

i ADORE chinese food, but the thought of eating it in China makes me gag.

[martin_fierro]

lil' totes

Not the prettiest accessory.

[martin_fierro]

i ADORE chinese food, but the thought of eating it in China makes me gag.

You can't get good chinese takeout in China and cuban cigars are rationed in Cuba. That's all you need to know about communism. - P.J. O'Rourke

[xsmommy]

good one. i literally could eat chinese food 3x per day for days on end. i love it.

[mikrofon]

Not too sub-par... ;)

[mikrofon]

Comes complete with stileto

[NeoCaveman]

You can't get good chinese takeout in China and cuban cigars are rationed in Cuba. That's all you need to know about communism. - P.J. O'Rourke

PJ is right!

[MoochPooch]

Communism isn’t exactly consumer-friendly.

Is that litotes or what?

[secret garden]

Talk about conspicuous consumption!

[secret garden]

Wow. You never fail to impress us. A++!

[secret garden]

Oh c'mon! Shine on, you crazy guy.

[secret garden]

They say black and white goes with everything but I think you’re pushing it with that bag. A+ for you.

[secret garden]

A for usage without actually using the wftd.

[secret garden]

That’ll work. A for you!

[xsmommy]

i thought we could all take a break and cut footloose!

[CholeraJoe]

You’re channeling David Gilmour today? That’s gotta be a sign of the Apocalypse.

[CholeraJoe]

Things are improving. I have a massage scheduled at 5 today and a date Saturday.

[tioga]

I am ROARing here........cavuto has hinchey on, hinchey CLEARLY tried to say it was not true that he talked about nationalizing the oil industry.......when cavuto interrupted him and REplayed the tape from yesterday impeaching the jerk with his own words! I LOVEed it!!!

[xsmommy]

well 1 out of 2 isn’t bad : )

[xsmommy]

some people took the cutting footloose a bit too literally....

[tioga]

they had the famous coroner on and he said that it's probably from a plane crash where no bodies were recovered........he said six people were lost......when the seventh foot show up he will panic.

[CholeraJoe]

Who knows? I might make it a two-fer.;-)

[xsmommy]

cyril wecht?

[xsmommy]

or michael baden?

[CholeraJoe]

Maybe there's a cult of Canucks with Body Integrity Identity Disorder