Disparate Commonality: The Non Sequitur, Bon Mot, Quip and Cliche
Text are the invention of considered, and the moment spoken they grow to be the truth of the brain when conjoined they convey imagined to lifestyle as an essay, humor, critique and the hundred much more circumstances.
Napoleon claimed there are only two powers in the environment, the sword and the pen, and he concluded that the pen will ultimately triumph. This, then, lends a style of credence to the observation that the phrase is maybe the most significant, solemn, and somber instrument for society’s salvation that has nonetheless been devised, alliteration notwithstanding.
Certainly, kingdoms have toppled mainly because of a careless phrase spoken in jest, and it is this thought that provides us to the essence of this essay. Far way too generally the phrase has been accorded a body weight not supposed. Too often the spoken term has been solid as a villain when even more examination would expose it was at ideal a bon mot, at worst a basic jest. This exploration into the lighter side of phrase usage will divulge the essence of the phrase, the clause, the forage into banter, and most fundamentally that the use of the phrase, even when joined with seemingly inappropriate syntax, will create or include new ideas to all those with which they are couched.
To notice this is the issue of this essay. Though the reader may perhaps come up with a dozen a lot more caches of word groupings these types of as jouterie, dido and badinage- fatuous expressions that have lengthy been consigned to the out-of-usage bin-most lend by themselves virtually exclusively to the spoken word japery and allied expressions of comedian intent depend on intonation and as this kind of have small effects when in print. Etymological wisdom has established that the four word groupings observed in the title to this paper embody the predominance of sayings and term-choices that attribute, by way of their usage, the lighter facet of civilization’s record.
It is regarded that usual linguistic use does merge and easily confuse the which means and works by using of these different conveyances of believed hence this paper to delineate the individual definitions of each and every variety of word-phrase and exhibit how they retain their individuality and at the exact same time, in fact most likely in the identical sentence, can be blended to build new assumed.
The four topics are offered in a rating order the writer deems ideal. The initially term assemblage, if we may perhaps, is the most inscrutable, when at the similar second lending itself to scrutability and so is the most easily positioned locution for humor and mild exposition. This delightful fashion of phrasing has “occur residence” so to communicate in latest critiques (i.e., this writer’s essays: The Definition of the Non Sequitur, and The Best Non Sequitur).
The Non Sequitur seemingly retains a solitary even though disparate clarity of objective, still in a different occasion it gets exponible. It is the solitary word-grouping of the four presented in this paper that can be utilized with or without a “start pad” so to speak, it getting Latin for “does not follow.” As a result, one can come across the Non Sequitur phrase next a sentence, clause, or phrase, or see it standing by yourself to declaim in opposition to a preceding paragraph, or just as a puzzling assumed in by itself. When following a entire clause the “does not observe” and obvious aberrant phrasing will look related, and however can at the moment show up to be a disparate aspect within just the context of the content. An case in point (even though not uncovered in my the latest publication: The Babble Ebook, 365 Non Sequiturs to Are living By) in its purest kind is:
We stroll a fine line in daily life an ant hill is a difficult composition.
As may well be obvious, a conundrum develops inside the next phrase simply because it has its personal independence with a subject and predicate. This distinct idiom gets a poser due to the fact the observe-on Non Sequitur descriptive clause could possibly be supporting the introductory phrase, and still it struggles as logic. It also enables other meanings to be identified in the phrase, providing increase to other postulations-ergo, the pure Non Sequitur.
The Bon Mot will take the second rating, albeit of the French language. In addition to their viticulture arts and potentially culinary achievements, the French have offered the planet substantive contributions in pleasant phraseology formulated in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Practically, Bon Mot suggests “very good phrase”, but literal translations most frequently shed the essence of indicating uncovered in the authentic language. In French these words connote witticism, a happily turned phrase, an suave combination of words and phrases that delight, and gratuitous compliments. An example of a finish Bon Mot of the latter model:
Your existence delights the senses and stimulates my heart’s thoughts.
As may perhaps be apparent to Francophiles, these kinds of a sentence conjures up an 18th Century “dandy” coming up to a lovely female strolling in the park, getting rid of his broad-brimmed and feathered hat with a flourish and a sweeping bow. He utters the over compliment in a low voice only for her ears and she blushes at his grace. You can very easily see how the Bon Mot permits for pleasurable conjuring, and at the exact same instantly indicates an implication outside of flattery.
The instead common Quip can take third location on the listing of disparate phrases with a commonality, although lexicographers align it with both of those the detrimental “scoff” and the optimistic “joke.” The Quip most normally stands by itself, specifically when it is applied humorously. It is often viewed narrowly as “banter” and but when spoken in these types of a context it can often have a double intent-the joke and the scoff-which rationale it is given both assignments by linguistic anthropologists. For our applications, nevertheless, it is the jokester to whom we shall flip, not wishing to guidance the adverse likely.
His match is so sharp he is on the chopping edge of design and style.
A single can quickly see that a “pun” (a further variety of wit) is the vehicle by which the previously mentioned Quip is productive, and nevertheless it has a delight standing on its personal. A person can also see that this seemingly casual comment could also be taken as a barb. Definitely, the essence of the Quip is it contains the predominant humorous element yet features a veiled prospective as a jape.
Eventually we appear to the ubiquitous and a great deal maligned Cliché. This form of idiom has been producing for hundreds of years, each individual tradition introducing to the pile through endless utilization, with the stop nowhere in sight. It is noteworthy, nevertheless, to know that this style of phrasing arrives about for the reason that of frequent use, but when a new and pungent observation is declared that has the likely as a long lasting Cliché, it is ordinarily taken as a witty, even charming expression. Banality comes with age as properly as usage, and most linguists would be caught with their syntax down have been they heard to be stating:
A bird in the hand is well worth two in the bush.
This Cliché, incidentally, will come from a 19th Century British grouse searching expression, and at the time “explained it all” when the hunter returned to his cottage with but just one tiny fowl to display for a day’s stalking by way of field and stream. As this kind of it can effortlessly be aligned with numerous other predicaments these kinds of as the seamstress’ “a sew in time saves 9.” It also ought to be evident to the reader that the Cliché conveniently lends alone to the Non Sequitur, and is often utilized as this kind of by the jester in a team. An instance is, “On the other hand, the cream of the crop can spoil.” (It can be “a display stopper” when following someone’s pretentious prognostication.)
The four representations in this exposition to notice their disparate commonality will hopefully give the reader pause as very well as offer this means. We are sure the reader has already assigned the title of this essay as an oxymoron-in by itself an additional variety of witticism. To the literati we can say: On one hand erudition is its very own reward, and on the other, to paraphrase Shakespeare, the earlier mentioned may perhaps be considered “full of seem and fury, signifying…one thing?”
Oh, Lord what complexities we weave when initial we follow to perceive.