ABCs Flashcards

1
Q

What is alliteration?

A

Repeating the same or similar SOUNDS at the beginnings of words.

Example: She sells seashells by the sea shore.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is an allusion?

A

A casual reference to something, usually a work of popular culture.

Example: Finishing his memoir was his white whale (allusion to Moby Dick).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is an analogy?

A

A comparison between two similar things, typically using figurative language.

Example: Life is like a box of chocolates.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is anaphora?

A

The repetition of a word or words at the start of phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Example: I came, I saw, I conquered.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is an anecdote?

A

A brief story about something that happened to the speaker or someone else, usually something funny or interesting.

Example: Five years ago, I met some clowns.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is antithesis?

A

Using parallel sentences or clauses to make a contrast.

Example: No pain, no gain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is an aphorism?

A

A short sentence that presents truth or opinion, usually in a witty or clever manner.

Example: A penny saved is a penny earned.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is an apostrophe?

A

Directly addressing an absent person, a concept, or an inanimate object.

Example: You have made a fool out of me for the last time, washing machine!

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is assonance?

A

The repetition of the same vowel sound with different consonants.

Example: She and Lee see the bees in the tree.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is asyndeton?

A

The removal of conjunctions from a sentence.

Example: Get in, cause a distraction, get out.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is chiasmus?

A

Reversing the grammatical order in two otherwise parallel phrases or sentences.

Example: Dog owners own dogs and cats own cat owners.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is cacophony?

A

The act of purposefully using harsh sounds.

Example: The gnashing of teeth and screeching of bats.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is climax?

A

Ordering words so that they build up in intensity.

Example: It’s a bird! A plane! Superman!

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is colloquialism?

A

An instance of informal language or a local expression.

Example: Here in Philly, we love to eat hoagies.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is connotation?

A

Using words to suggest a social or emotional meaning rather than a literal one.

Example: This is a house, but I want a home.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is consonance?

A

A repetition of consonants or consonant sounds.

Example: Mike likes Ike’s bike.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is an epithet?

A

A nickname or descriptive term used to refer to someone.

Example: Clueless Kevin.

18
Q

What is an eponym?

A

A word based on or derived from a person’s name, or an allusion to a famous person.

Example: He is the LeBron James of chess.

19
Q

What is euphemism?

A

Using alternative language to refer to explicit or unpleasant things.

Example: The baseball struck him in a sensitive area.

20
Q

What is an expletive?

A

An interrupting word or phrase used for emphasis.

Example: The eggs were not, in any sense of the word, delicious.

21
Q

What is hyperbole?

A

An intentional exaggeration.

Example: The plate exploded into a million pieces.

22
Q

What is irony?

A

Using words to mean the opposite of their literal meaning.

Example: Ashley said it was a beautiful day while drying off from the rain.

23
Q

What is meiosis?

A

Using euphemism to minimize the importance or significance of something.

Example: Peculiar institution for slavery.

24
Q

What is metanoia?

A

Any instance of self-correction, including retracting or amplifying a previous statement.

Example: Let’s make that Monday.

25
What is a metaphor?
A comparison in which something is said to figuratively be something else. ## Footnote Example: He was a wolf among sheep.
26
What is metonymy?
When the name of something is replaced with something related to it. ## Footnote Example: From the cradle to the grave.
27
What is onomatopoeia?
A word that imitates the sound it refers to. ## Footnote Example: The thunder boomed.
28
What is an oxymoron?
A figure of speech that uses two opposite words together. ## Footnote Example: Violent peace.
29
What is a paradox?
A statement that seems self-contradictory but actually makes sense. ## Footnote Example: Youth is wasted on the young.
30
What is parallelism?
Using grammatically similar phrases or sentences together. ## Footnote Example: Fool me once, shame on you.
31
What is parenthesis?
An interruption used for clarity. ## Footnote Example: The audience, or at least the paying members, enjoyed the show.
32
What is parody?
An imitation of something with the intent to poke fun at it. ## Footnote Example: If Poe had written this speech.
33
What is personification?
Giving human elements to non-human things. ## Footnote Example: The valley spread its arms.
34
What is a pun?
Humorously using words with multiple meanings or similar sounds. ## Footnote Example: The farmer tried to get his cows to get along.
35
What is a rhetorical question?
A question that isn’t intended to be answered, aimed to provoke thought. ## Footnote Example: Can we know our place in the universe?
36
What is sarcasm?
Using irony to mock something or show contempt. ## Footnote Example: Oh, yeah, he is a great guy.
37
What is satire?
Using humor to criticize public figures. ## Footnote Example: Numbers don’t lie.
38
What is a simile?
A comparison in which something is said to figuratively be like something else. ## Footnote Example: It was as hot as a desert.
39
What is syllogism?
An argument based on deductive reasoning using generalizations. ## Footnote Example: Dogs are mammals, Biscuit is a dog, therefore Biscuit is a mammal.
40
What is synecdoche?
When a part of something is used to refer to a whole. ## Footnote Example: An army of 10,000 swords.
41
What is understatement?
Using language to intentionally lessen a major thing or event. ## Footnote Example: The erupting volcano was a little problem.