by

ONE WAY TO STIMULATE BRAIN CELLS DURING CORONAVIRUS: THINK OF OXYMORONS

PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19TH HOLE:  This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon, as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

I have always liked oxymorons.

Know what those are?

The dictionary definition is “a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.”

In other words, words that don’t make sense together, at least on occasion.

To illustrate, one of the best oxymorons is “jumbo shrimp.”

With time on my hands, both in retirement and in the coronavirus “state at home” orders, I have spent – read, invested – some of my time thinking of oxymorons.  They may not be new, but I like them.  And thinking and writing about this is a good way, at least for a few moments, to escape the reality of the coronavirus, including all of the information which can drown you.

So, here goes on the oxymorons:

  • Political courage
  • Legislative leadership
  • Military intelligence
  • Ethical lobbyist (which I report while noting my own status as a lobbyist to whom the oxymoron effect does not apply)
  • Original copy
  • Civil war
  • Fresh frozen
  • Divorce court
  • Great depression
  • Criminal justice
  • Death benefits
  • Pretty ugly
  • Student teacher
  • Athletic scholarship

Enough.

You get the picture.

If you have nothing better to do, think of your own oxymorons.

Truth be told, while cleaning out a couple bookshelves today, my wife found a book about oxymorons.

It went by this title:  Freezer burn.

I hadn’t thought of that oxymoron for quite awhile.

 

 

 

Leave a comment