Posted on 11/03/2005 4:45:21 AM PST by secret garden
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".
catachresis • \kat-uh-KREE-sis\ • noun
1. use of the wrong word for the context
2. use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech
Example sentence:
The paper printed a correction for the previous day's catachresis: dubbing a local artist-philanthropist a "socialist" when they meant "socialite."
Etymology: As you might have guessed, "catachresis" is a word favored by grammarians. It can be employed as a fancy label of disparagement for whatever uses the grammarian finds unacceptable. Thus could Henry Fowler, in the 1920s, call "mutual" in "our mutual friend" a catachresis. (Fowler preferred "common," but "mutual" does have an established sense which is correct in that context.) More often, "catachresis" is used for an unintentional misuse and is very close in meaning to "malapropism," which usually refers to an unintentionally humorous misuse of a word. "Catachresis" has been used to describe (or decry) misuses of words since at least 1550. The word comes to us by way of Latin from the Greek noun "katachrçsis," which means "misuse."
Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence.
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....
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!
A for the Reaper.
A for Robert!
A+! Very good!
Go to pieces.
Your thesis?
Catachesis.
Malaproply,catachresis!
Speechless, ceases.
On that note, I think I have a headache.
It rhymnes in rythms, but is limerick?
wrong rhyme pattern, wrong rhythem. Wordless, I walk away looking for coffee...
spelling's also impacted, I see...
Ha! I referr to Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota as the socialist socialite.
Good morning!
catachresis sounds like what the kids were doing for halloween.
"I am so sick and tired of this pontificating about us not being the party of faith," said Biden, a Roman Catholic who has served in the Senate since the Nixon administration
Harry Reid's brain--a useless prosthesis
Good for naught but a catachresis
"Shed light on war," he proposed
But the session was closed
He sucks his thumb and has bad enuresis
Biden needs to go soak his...........hair plugs
But for a guy oft busted for copying others, he was pretty original in coming up with a way for using the rosary as a violent weapon.
"The truth of the matter is the Democratic Party has, of the last two elections, lost its base - middle-class votes," Biden said. "We have disconnected from them, my party. And we have also played into the hands of the Republicans, in my view, in that we've allowed the so-called social issues to be so divisive."
Get real Joe. You think a better fiscal policy with a few more sops to the middle class will make us forget that you are the party that wants to teach third graders how to put condoms on bananas, give intrusive sex surveys to first graders, and let junior high girls have abortions without their parents knowledge.
I've risen. I've shown. Now I'm explaining it to the local constabulary. Didn't realize the shades were open.
Hey Dubs - don't hold back, tell how you REALLY feel about Biden :)
I am fighting something nasty myself and right now I have a cold sore under my nose. I will be happy to share my comfort items with you.
Cat O' Creases
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