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Oxymorons are self-conflicting or self-cancelling combinations of words. They are often humorous, brief, thought-provoking (associatively) and memorable. They also help stimulate our mind's ability to freely associate and visualize with greater speed and clarity. They stimulate imagination and creativity. What's more, they're great fun at parties. We've all heard these: JUMBO SHRIMP, AUTHENTIC REPLICA, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE, HELPFUL CIVIL SERVANT and THE WAR ON TERRORISM (more obscure, but a bit more through-provoking in terms of semantics and shades of meaning). With the following list, read each one aloud in your mind , and when you've finished, visualize the conflicting physical images . Then : 1 ) See how many of them you can easily remember; 2 ) See how many you can remember in the sequence in which they are presented. Incidentally, this is my collection of the best of the worst of these creatures: Stretch those neurons....let them reach out and touch one anoth...

Every word has numerous meanings and may be used in numerous contexts. Knowing this, we create puns, spoonerisms ,  oxymorons , paraprosdokians , paradoxes, riddles and other recreational wordplay. One of the greatest benefits of this wordplay is the accessing and  exercising of multiple parts of the brain. This serves to strengthen our creative and associative abilities, to ward off senile dementia and intellectual degradation and to sharpen our analytic and verbal skills. As a side benefit, my beloved Braintenancers , we also entertain ourselves and eachother.  Here are some twisted definitions which will be of interest to all, and in particular, to those of us privileged to be Baby Boomers . Thanks to Ms. Jane Portnoy for her contribution to this article. Let's let 'em roll... ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle. BEAUTY PARLOR (if you remember this terminology, you’re showing your age) : A place where ...

Oxymorons have engulfed civilization like a moth-bitten shroud. I had dinner with a friend several nights ago, and he asked "What the h*ll (he actually used "f**k!" but I don't have the audacity to put that in writing) is a ' Jobless Recovery ' ?." As a trained economist (paper-trained at very least), I was being asked a real question -- not a rhetorical one. I replied, "It's political 'nonspeak' (an invented word or Lingovation) for a 'continued recession." The question which we are always asking ourselves: "Is that an oxymoron, or is it just me?" The following appeared on my Blogger screen this morning:  Free Online Advertising See What $75 of Free Google Ads Can Do For Your Business. Try It Now! www.Google.com/AdWords  Need I say more? Douglas E Castle "Braintenance - Now More Than Ever!" -DC Blog Links : http://Braintenence.blogspot.com http://Links4LifeAlerts.com http://TheGlobalFuturist.blogspot.co...

You'd like to be more intelligent, more successful, more respected and admired. You'd also like to eliminate stress, feel absolutely comfortable and be endlessly creative. In order to dso this, you must master your mind. You must train your brain. This only takes moments a day. Simply go to http://braintenance.blogspot.com/ , scroll around, and use our brain gym. Having said this, I must ask you a question: What expression is as ridiculous as " It takes one to know one." ? The answer (or at least the most popularly selected answer amongst a group of 4 people polled while I waited for my daughter at a train station ) was, " The more that things change, the more they remain the same. " The first expression is childish and follows no particular line of logic. The second, however is inherently conflictory and genuinely [if analyzed] meaningless. It cancels itself out. My personal favorite stupid, irreversible, oxymoronic expression is this classic: "LESS ...