Your favorite oxymoron?

[Femaref]

I'm not sure what my favorite is but Danny Ocean, how is monopoly an oxymoron?

Mono generally means singular- e.g. Monobrow (one eyebrow).
Poly means multiple- e.g. Polymer (repeating structural units).

So it could be seen as one-many, or single-multiple. Oxymoron, see?

Monopoly is a greek word, mono coming from monos (single) and poly from polein (sell), so the meaning is "singleseller".

 

[Rylot]

Doesn't Sophomore mean wise fool? That one always amused me.

 

[Invader_Protos]

Ooh, Christian Science, Christian Science!

 

[IcyEvils]

Not in "monopoly". The -poly part comes from a Greek verb meaning "to sell".

Monopoly is a greek word, mono coming from monos (single) and poly from polein (sell), so the meaning is "singleseller".

My apologies, I always thought poly was more than one. Sorry!

 

[thethingthatlurks]

Conservative Republican. Oh snap, politics!

 

[Blatherscythe]

McDonald's healthy salad.

 

[p3t3r]

the ice king. cookie for the refrence

 

[Not-here-anymore]

Fun run.

To pad out my post, I'll point out that perhaps if you're a masochist, they're fun. Otherwise, they're tiring and/or painful. And involve running.

 

[smearyllama]

French Resistance. Nuff said.

 

[WINDOWCLEAN2]

My favourite Oxymoron is:

Oxymoron.

Oxy = Sharp/Right.
Moron = Dull/Wrong.

Oxymoron is an oxymoron in itself.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

French Military Victory (Just kidding)

I love oxymorons!

Spoiler: Fun Times

Virtual reality

Open secret

Minor miracle

Non-alcoholic wine

Cardinal sin

Extensive briefing

Unbiased opinion

Family vacation

Good job

Almost exactly

Dodge Ram

Postal service

Constant change

Assistant supervisor

Black light

High ground

Half full

Crisis management

Ill health

Nothing much

Partially completed

Federal budget

Authentic replica

Random order

Small fortune

Wedded bliss

Legal brief

Student teacher

Steel wool

Public school education

Accurate horoscope

Real potential

Civil War

Job security

State worker

Half dead

Legally drunk

Exact estimate

Completely unfinished

New tradition

Act naturally

Found missing

Art student

Original copy

Resident alien

Genuine imitation

Airline food

Dry wine

Good grief

Government organization

Uninvited guest

Highly depressed

Final version

Sanitary landfill

Alone together

Small crowd

Live recording

Business ethics

Soft rock

Easy payments

Dry lake

Good beating

Cheerleading scholarship

Rock opera

Educational television

Bittersweet

Farewell reception

Deafening silence

Non-dairy creamer

War games

Death benefits

Clearly confused

Rolling stop

Safety hazard

Clearly misunderstood

Initial results

Friendly argument

Healthy tan

Cold sweat

Committee decision

Holy war

Peace force

Minor disaster

Home office

Extinct life

Armchair athletes

Christian Scientists

Random logic

Plastic glasses

Terribly pleased

Computer security

Political science

Tight slacks

Definite maybe

Pretty ugly

Rap music

Working vacation

Religious tolerance

IBM compatible

Microsoft Works

Athletic scholarship

Congressional ethics

Pretty ugly

Even odds

Great Depression

Terribly nice

Freezer burn

Journalistic integrity

Jumbo shrimp

Monopoly

Political promise

Religious intolerance

Same difference

Second best

Accordion music

Alone together

Dress pants

Work party

Military intelligence

Standard options

Sweet sorrow

Rural Metro (ambulance service)

Now, then

Passive aggression

Free love

How are some of these oxymorons? A couple aren't really self-contradictory.
Steel wool. Wool made of steel.
Great Depression. A depression can be both great and small.
Original copy. It is one of many copies, but this one is the original.

Don't mean to be to be a buzz kill, but I'm just saying. Some of these are pretty good. (Cheerleading scholarships, ha!)

 

[Femaref]

Not in "monopoly". The -poly part comes from a Greek verb meaning "to sell".

Monopoly is a greek word, mono coming from monos (single) and poly from polein (sell), so the meaning is "singleseller".

My apologies, I always thought poly was more than one. Sorry!

If used as prefix (like in polymer), it means many.

 

[Danny Ocean]

French Military Victory (Just kidding)

How are some of these oxymorons? A couple aren't really self-contradictory.
Steel wool. Wool made of steel.
Great Depression. A depression can be both great and small.
Original copy. It is one of many copies, but this one is the original.

Don't mean to be to be a buzz kill, but I'm just saying. Some of these are pretty good. (Cheerleading scholarships, ha!)

Steel is hard, wool is soft.

Depressions are sad. It means 'great' as in 'WoO! That's great!'. It's like saying, "Boy, that sure was a great depression."

Something cannot be both the original and a copy. It may have been the first copy, but that does not make it the origin of the copies.

 

[jelock]

Near Miss. If you nearly miss something doesnt that mean you in fact hit it?

 

[jelock]

French Military Victory (Just kidding)

How are some of these oxymorons? A couple aren't really self-contradictory.
Steel wool. Wool made of steel.
Great Depression. A depression can be both great and small.
Original copy. It is one of many copies, but this one is the original.


Depressions are sad. It means 'great' as in 'WoO! That's great!'. It's like saying, "Boy, that sure was a great depression."

In this case Great is a reference to the size and impact. So it is not an oxymoron.

 

[Kroker]

Fun run.

To pad out my post, I'll point out that perhaps if you're a masochist, they're fun. Otherwise, they're tiring and/or painful. And involve running.

A week from now I'm going to wish I'd heeded this warning. Can't think of one myself right now but 'Microsoft Works' got a good chuckle out of me.

Edit: Five kilometres later that wasn't half bad.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Minigun springs to mind.

Have you seen those things? They're usually huge!

 

[spartan231490]

My favorite is honest politician. closely followed by political science.

 

[Zach Steadman]

Enjoyable Wii Game

Alabama Institute of Learning

Intelligent Glenn Beck Segment

Honest Mainstream Media

Good Mainstream Band

All of these + Retardedly Smart, White Shadow, Happy Bill O'Riley

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Conservative Republican. Oh snap, politics!

Isn't that a tautology rather than an oxymoron, if we're going for jokes here?

My favourite is: Super Hobo!

Because seriously, kids, there is nothing super about living on the streets, every day being a gritty struggle for survival, with people spurning you outright, others commenting outwardly about your appearance. Children may kick you, stray dogs might attack you, and when you die, no one will care about it. You will simply be another nameless dead guy. The coroners will make light jokes about your corpse, and then you'll be cremated unceremoniously without any grievers surrounding you, with perhaps a dour priest administering rites. You will have wasted your entire life.

Ahem.