If you know me at all, and it's fair to say you don't, you know I love hyperbole. It's fun to say, fun to use, and delicious with bacon. I've been a fan for, like, forever.
Now since "hyperbole" means to exaggerate, it seems like "hypobole" should mean to understate. According to official sources (that is, not Urban Dictionary), however, "hypobole" is a form of argument where you anticipate and refute opposing arguments.
Do you know what that means? It means that a word that is fun to say has a completely boring and useless meaning, that's what it means.
Not. Acceptable. I hereby call on all who read this to liberate hypobole and return it to the meaning I think it should have.
OK, this shit is getting a little heavy. I'll throw you a bone (heh, bone):
Not bad looking, right? (See what I did there?)
So it's like this--
Hyper Bowl: Best Bowl Ever!
Hypo Bowl: Not Too Shabby.
Got it?
6.25.2008
English Iz Stoopid
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5 comments:
i love jessica alba.
(what was this post about again?)
I think it was about fishnets.
You're welcome.
Remember kids, the correct pronunciation is "hye-PER-buh-lee". The next person who pronounces it "Hyper Bowl" gets a cock punch from yours truly.
Now a bone to pick with you, Ms. Librarian... is understatement truly the antonym of exaggeration? One might claim that the antonym of of exaggeration would be to tell the complete, literal, and unbiased truth. Just a thought...
TGF better watch out. He thinks the "Hyper Bowl" pronouncation is hi-larious.
Re: your bone, I'm not saying "hyperbole" and "hypobole" are antonyms. The Greek roots for "hyperbole" mean "to throw above" while the Greek roots for "hypobole" mean to throw below. So it seems that the latter should mean to understate if the former means to overstate. Truth telling in this construction would, I suppose, be "bole." Which sounds a bit like the nerd sport you played in college.
/jersey pop
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