Framing the Dialogue

Framing The Dictionary

Hyperbole (hi-pûr-bi-lee)

Hyperbole is defined as:

  1. A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect.
  2. An obvious and intentional exaggeration.
  3. An extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally

Synonyms: exaggeration, hype (informal), overstatement, enlargement, magnification, amplification

Popular liberal hyperbole subjects: Hitler, racist, social security, guns, abortion, voter ????, Hitler (they really like this one), the rich, and a new favorite Egypt’s president Mubarak.

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Severable (sev-er-a-bul)

Severable is defined as:  Capable of being severed or separated; separable into legally distinct rights or obligations, as a contract.

Synonyms: divisive, divisible, separable

What does Judge Roger Vinson think:

“Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void.”

Can you give some examples?

Example 1:  When contracts are written, especially lengthy ones, there are many components to that contract.  If a conflict occurs between the parties over or an outside person challenges one component of the agreement it puts the remainder of the contract in jeopardy.  Attorneys often include a severability clause into the agreement stating that if one part of the agreement is deemed null/void then the rest of the contract shall remain.  As an example:

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Update – Hypocrisy

My original post dealt more with the political side of hypocrisy primarily because of the season in an important mid-term election.  The main problem that I had with the post was to keep it focuses with all of the hypocrisy out there.  Two recent items screamed for inclusion under hypocrisy.

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Hypocrisy (hi-pok-ruh-see)

Hypocrisy is defined as:

  1. The practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one’s real character or actual behaviour.
  2. A feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not.
  3. An expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction.

Synonyms:  deceit, insincerity

What does Edmond Burke think:

“Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises; for never intending to go beyond promises; it costs nothing.”

How about Billy Connolly’s thoughts:

“Hypocrisy is the vaseline of political intercourse.”

Can you give some examples?

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Marketing (mahr – ki – ting)

Marketing is defined as:

  1. the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling.

Synonyms:  vend, merchandise, peddle

Notable Quotable:

“Never… ever suggest they don’t have to pay you. What they pay for, they’ll value. What they get for free, they’ll take for granted, and then demand as a right. Hold them up for all the market will bear..”

Lois McMaster Bujold

Can you give an example?

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Uncertainty (un – sûr – tn – tee)

Uncertainty is defined as:

  1. Situation where the current state of knowledge is such that the order or nature of things is unknown, the consequences, extent, or magnitude of circumstances, conditions, or events is unpredictable, and credible probabilities to possible outcomes cannot be assigned.
  2. Doubt

Synonyms:  doubt, mistrust, suspicion

What does W think?

“If America shows weakness and uncertainty, the world will drift toward tragedy. That will not happen on my watch.”

George W. Bush

Can you give an example?

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Comprehensive (kom – pri – hen – siv)

Comprehensive is defined as:

“So large in scope or content as to include much.”

Synonyms:  complete, broad, wide, full, sweeping, exhaustive, extensive.

What does Wolf Blitzer think:

“I think what we try to do is bring the news to our viewers in a very comprehensive responsible way”  This is CNN?

Can you use it in a sentence?

Politicians often use the word comprehensive when they introduce a piece of legislation when the want the American people to think they are being thoughtful and forward-thinking.  Most citizens who pay attention know that when an elected official uses the word comprehensive to describe a bill, a rule, a policy, etc. that it actually means that it is full of things they do not want you to really know about.   [Okay that is two sentences]

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Insanity (in – san – i – tee)

Insanity is defined as:

  1. the screamthe condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind.
  2. such unsoundness of mind as affects legal responsibility or capacity.
  3. extreme folly; senselessness; foolhardiness.

Synonyms:  dementia, lunacy, madness, craziness, mania, aberration

What does Einstein think:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.”

Can you use it in a sentence?

One needs to look no further than Washington D. C. for plenty of examples of insanity.

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Hypochondria (hī′pə kän′drē ə)

chickenhypoHypochondria is defined as:

“abnormal anxiety over one’s health, often with imaginary illnesses and severe melancholy.”

…or a more serious definition:

“A psychiatric disorder characterized by the conviction that one is ill or soon to become ill, often accompanied by physical symptoms, when illness is neither present nor likely.”

How about a quote?

“The best cure for hypochondria is to forget about your body and get interested in someone else’s.”

Goodman Ace

Can you use it in a sentence?

As I sit here suffering from the H1N1 flu and surrounded by used tissues watching daytime television I truly understand the beginning pangs of hypochondria.

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Socialism (soh-shuh-liz-uhm)

Socialism is defined as:

Socialism 2“an economic system of government which advocates state ownership of the means of production with equal distribution of goods among the people.”

  • Socialist governments own the banks, car companies, farmlands, factories, and stores, and is the only employer and consequently owns the means of production.  The government controls all investments, production, distribution, income, and prices, as well as all organizations, schools, news media and formerly private societies.
  • Socialism is the antithesis of capitalism, opposes private ownership of capital or land, and rejects the free market in favor of central planning. 
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