11/19 Test Flashcards
Wit
(noun) intellectually amusing man gag that surprises and delights
Synesthesia
(noun) when one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another
Infantile
(adj.) childish
Acquit
(verb) judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime with which the person has been charged
Squalid
(adj.) extremely dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of poverty or neglect
Formidable
(adj.) inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable
Turbulent
(adj.) characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not controlled or calm
Fluctuation
(noun) an irregular rising and falling in number or amount; a variation
Subsequent
(adverb) coming after something in time; following
Metonymy
(noun) figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it
Periodic Sentence
(noun) present its central meaning in a main clause at the end * opposite of loose sentence
Syllogism
(noun) three part deductive argument, consisting of a major premise, minor premise, and a conclusion
Synecdoche
(noun) figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or vice versa
Listless
(adj.) lacking the energy to do something
Sedentary
(adj.) lacking physical activity
Ponderous
(adj.) heavy, slow, serious
Prosaic
(adj.) unimaginative, matter-of-fact
Metaphor
(noun) figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without the use of comparison words
Implied Metaphor
(noun) does not state explicitly the two terms of the comparison
Dead Metaphor
(noun) an overused metaphor that is no longer vivid
Local Color
(noun) term applied to fiction or poetry which tends to place special emphasis on a particular setting, including its customs, clothing, dialect, and landscape
Dilettante
(noun) an amateur without serious intentions or knowledge
Facile
(adj.) done or achieved easily
Plausible
(adj.) apparently reasonable or valid
Torpor
(noun) state of inactivity
Indolent
(adj.) not inclined to physical activity or difficult work, lazy
Atrophy
(verb) to waste away through lack of use
Epistrophe
(noun) device of repetition in which the same expression is repeated at the end of two or more lines * opposite of anaphora
Semantics
(noun) branch of linguistics that studies words and their meanings, developments, connotations, and relation to one another
Lucid
(adj.) expressed clearly, easy to understand
Conception
(noun) the ability to understand or form a thought
Cogent
(adj.) convincing, persuasive
Adroit
(adj.) skillful, adept
Wily
(adj.) skilled in the art of deception
Pragmatic
(adj.) concerned with practical matters
Absolutes
(noun) adverbial clause that has a non-finite verb or no verb at all
Florid
(adj.) elaborately or excessively decorated
Gilded
(adj.) given a deceptively attractive appearance
Sumptuous
(adj.) of a size of quality that suggests great expense
Dilatory
(adj.) tending to postpone or delay something
Apathy
(noun) a lack of emotion of feeling
Prose
(noun) used in non/fiction in which the printer determines the length of the line * often found in poetry
Opulent
(adj.) deluxe; rich and superior
Ostentatious
(adj.) intended to attract notice and impress others
Aesthetic
(adj.) having to do with beauty
Austere
(adj.) having no adornment, bare
Atmosphere
(noun) emotional mood created by the entirety of the literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described
Diacope
(noun) repetition of a word/phrase after an intervening word/phrase * word/phrase, …, word/phrase
Hypophora, Antipophora
(noun) where author asks a question and then answers it
Litotes
(noun) figure of speech which employs an understatement by using double negatives
Despotic
(adj.) absolute ruler, tyrannical
Hypocrisy
(noun) proclaim beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold
Reprehensible
(adj.) deserving of criticism; blameworthy; malicious
Egregious
(adj.) bad or offensive; almost lewd
Testimony
(noun) evidence or proof provided by the existence of appearance of something
Deductive Reasoning
(noun) process of reasoning using strong premises/claims to reach a logical conclusion * A=B & B=C, then A=C
Inductive Reasoning
(noun) reasoning that takes specific information and makes a broader generalization that is considered probable, allowing for the fact that the conclusion may not be accurate * A=B & B sometimes =C, then A may = C
Euphemism
(noun) more agreeable of less offensives substitute for a generally unpleasant word of concept
Extended Metaphor
(noun) metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work
Homily
(noun) literally “sermon” but informally or a lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
Perpetuate
(verb) make something (undesirable situation or unfounded belief) continue indefinitely
Eclectic
(adj.) deriving ideas, style, or tastes from a broad and diverse range of sources
Sentimental Appeals
(emotional fallacy) use emotion to distract the audience from the facts
Red Herrings
(emotional fallacy) use misleading or unrelated evidence to support a conclusion * diversionary tactic
Scare Tactics
(emotional fallacy) try to frighten people into agreeing with the arguer by threatening them or predicting unrealistically dire consequences
Bandwagon Appeals, Ad Populum
(emotional fallacy) encourage an audience to agree with the writer because everyone else is doing so
Slippery Slope
(emotional fallacy) arguments suggest that one thing will lead to another, oftentimes with disastrous results * if A, then Z; skips B-Y
Either/Or Choices
(emotional fallacy) reduce complicated issues to only two possible courses of action
False Need
(emotional fallacy) arguments create an unnecessary desire for things
Genetic Arguments
(emotional fallacy) based on origin of a person, idea, institute,or theory to determine its character, nature, or worth
False Authority
(ethical fallacy) asks audience to agree with the assertion of a writer based simply on his/her character or the authority of another person/institution who may not fully qualified to offer that assertion
Using Authority Instead of Evidence
(ethical fallacy) occurs when someone offers personal authority as proof
Guilt by Association
(ethical fallacy) call someone’s character into question by examining the character of that person’s associates
Dogmatism
(ethical fallacy) shuts down discussion by asserting that the writer’s beliefs are the only acceptable ones
Moral Equivalence
(ethical fallacy) compares minor problems with much more serious crimes, or vice versa
Ad Hominem
(ethical fallacy) arguments attack a person’s character rather than that person’s reasoning
Strawman
(ethical fallacy) arguments set up and often dismantle easily refutable arguments in order to misrepresent an opponent’s argument in order to defeat him/her
A Hasty Generalization
(logical fallacy) draws conclusions from scanty evidence
Faulty Casualty, Post Hoc, Causation Fallacy
(logical fallacy) arguments confuse chronology with causation: one event can occur after another without being caused by it * same time does not mean related events
A Non Sequitur, “It Doesn’t Follow”
(logical fallacy) statement that does not logically relate to what comes before it; important logical step may be missing
An Equivocation
(logical fallacy) half-truth; statement that is partially correct but that purposely obscures the entire truth
Begging the Question, Circular Argument
(logical fallacy) occurs when a writer simply restates the claim in a different way
A Faulty Analogy
(logical fallacy) an inaccurate, inappropriate, or misleading comparison between two things
Stacked Evidence
(logical fallacy) represents only one side of the issue, thus distorting it
Anecdote
(rhetorical) (evidence) brief story or tale told by a character in a piece of literature
Oxymoron
(rhetorical) figure of speech that combines to apparently contradictory elements
Allusion
(rhetorical) figure of speech which makes brief, even casual reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object to create a resonance in the reader or to apply a symbolic meaning to the character or object of which the allusion consists
Satire
(rhetorical) a literary style used to make fun of or ridicule an idea of human vice/weakness
Parody
(rhetorical) satirical imitation of a work of art for purpose of ridiculing its style or subject
Sarcasm
(rhetorical) a sharp caustic remark; form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually bitter or harshly critical
Paradox
(rhetorical) statement that seems contradictory, but is actually true
Epiphany
(rhetorical) sudden or intuitive insight or perception into the reality of essential meaning or something usually brought on by a simple or common occurrence or experience
Onomatopoeia
(rhetorical) a word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes
Hyperbole
(rhetorical) overstatement characterized by exaggerated language
Didactic
(rhetorical) intended for teaching or to teach a moral lesson
Colloquial
(rhetorical) ordinary language; the vernacular
Juxtaposition
(rhetorical) placing of two items side by side to create a certain effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purspose
Parallelism
(rhetorical) grammatical/rhetorical framing of words/phrases/sentences/paragraphs to give structural simlilarity
Anaphora
(rhetorical) regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases/clauses * opposite of epistrophe
Imagery
(rhetorical) sensory details in a work; use of figurative language to evoke a feelings, call to mind an idea, or describe an object
Allegory
(rhetorical) narrative form in which characters and actions have meanings outside themselves
Analogy
(rhetorical) (evidence) comparison of two things that are alike in some respects
Nostalgia
(rhetorical) desire to return in thought or fact to a former time
Propaganda
(rhetorical) information or tumor deliberately spread to help or harm a person, group, or institution
Motif
(rhetorical) recurrent device, formula, or situation that often serves as a signal for the appearance of a character or event
Realism
(rhetorical) the literary practice of attempting to describe life and nature without idealization and with attention to detail
Invective
(rhetorical) the use of angry and insulting language in satirical writing
Persona
(rhetorical) the voice or figure of the author who tells and structures the story and who may (not) share the values of the actual author
Connotation
(rhetorical) what is implied by a word
Abstract
(rhetorical) an abbreviated synopsis of a longer work of scholarship or research
Ambiguity
(rhetorical) multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage
Alliteration
(rhetorical) repetition of sounds, especially initial consonants in two or more neighboring words; reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound
Antecedent
(rhetorical) word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
Asyndeton
(rhetorical) consists of omitting conjunctions between word, phrases, or clauses
Polysyndeton
(rhetorical) stylistic device in which several conjunctions are used in order to achieve an artistic effect
Antithesis
(rhetorical) figure of balance in which two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed, usually through parallel structure; contrasting of opposing ideas in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences
Factual Example
(evidence) example or statement presented as a reliable “fact” to support the author’s main idea, although there is no source offered to prove its truth
Historical Fact
(evidence) historical example or event that is widely accepted as true
Expert Testimony
(evidence) either a quotation, paraphrase, or summary from an individual person or professional agency with expertise/experience/knowledge of the topic
Statistic
(evidence) evidence that cites specific numbers/percentages/dates; may (not) be a part of expert testimony
Personal Experience
(evidence) story from the author’s personal history or observations
Scientific Study, Experimental Results
(evidence) findings or results of a scientific experiment or study
Hypothetical
(evidence) a story about what could happen in the future
Interviews/Witness, Participant Testimony
(evidence) quotations or statements from individuals who were involved in the event or situation being written about
Primary Sources
(evidence) documents from a particular time period that provide evidence of people’s viewpoints and actions during that time period * used only in history
Commonly Held Assumption/Belief
(evidence) an inclusive statement presented about human nature or human behavior as if all readers would be in agreement with the author
Author Opinion
(evidence) statement of the author’s personal beliefs without proof
Appeals
Ethos (ethics, character); Pathos (passion, emotion); Logos (logic, facts)
