Paradox

A statement or proposition that, despite sound reasoning from an acceptable premises leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory.

Example: Stay away from water until you learn how to swim.

Ellipsis

Ellipsis: The intentional omision of a word or words that are implied by their context

Examples: a) There is an orange flower, a purple flower, and a red. (Instead of: There is an orange flower, a purple flower, and a red flower.)

b) She plays the flute, and he the violin.

Anaphora

Anaphora (rhetoric term) : a repeating sequence of words at the beginning of clauses related to one another, giving emphasis ; opposite of epistrophe

example: "I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. [. . .]" (Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely)

Ephemism

Definitions: the substitution of a mild indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh or blunt. (Dictionary.com)

Examples "Mommy why is Auntie hill so fat," said the little girl
"she is not fat sweetie she is just big boned," said the mother.

"Sorry you are too vertically challenged to ride," said the man.
Words cited
"Euphemism, define Euphemism at dictionary.com." Web.25Mar.2010. .

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines normally contradictory terms. They appear in a variety of contexts, including inadvertent errors such as extremely average, deliberate puns like same difference, and literary oxymorons that have been crafted to reveal a paradox.
Other Examples: Act naturally, exact estimate, freezer burn.

Understatement

Understatement (verb)- To state or represent less strongly or strikingly than the facts would bear out; set forth in restrained, moderate, or weak terms.

1.) "I dont see the problem officer, its only a scratch"

2.) (with a huge flood coming from rain above)
"It's only a little rain"

PUN

The humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.

1. I work as a baker because I need dough.


2. I used to do rock climbing as a youth, but I was much boulder back then.