My reason for choosing this word for those learning to proofread and copy-edit is purely selfish. I like it; it has always amused me; and I use the form often in my own writing.
An oxymoron is a figure of speech like a simile, a metaphor or hyperbole. Like them, if used well, it can add force or zest. If used badly, or over-used, it can fall flat and be counter-productive. It may be a copy-editor’s job to spot overuse or misuse and bring it to the attention of the author. A proofreader, as anyone who learns to proofread with Chapterhouse will know, should simply tut and move on. As copy-editors and proofreaders, we know the temptation to temper an author’s overwriting is hard to resist. We also know that it is the author’s book, good, bad or indifferent!
Origin and Meaning
The origin of oxymoron is Greek. It meant sharply dull or sharply foolish. Oxus means sharp and moros foolish. When you juxtapose two words or phrases which have opposite or very dissimilar meanings a stark contrast may arrest the reader, jolt him or her into seeing the point more clearly. The oxymoron gives writing power and sometimes humour. It is interesting that this technique is actively used in advertising campaigns of well-known companies. For example, we can see the oxymoron in the free let it ride videos.
Here are a few examples.
Cedric is the most amusingly boring man I know.
The wind cut her cheeks like scalding ice.
His fiercely passive stance on the war was unshakeable.
He practised honest politics.
In the light darkness of dawn she emerged from the lake.
Good fun isn’t it? Why not send us a few of your own?