# Is "almost exactly" an oxymoron?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-almost-exactly-an-oxymoron/628604>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 18, 2012, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-almost-exactly-an-oxymoron/628604 "2012-07-18T08:44:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 47

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-almost-exactly-an-oxymoron/628604/47 "2012-07-19T22:51:35Z")

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What about phrases like “totally certain” or “almost certain” or “probably certain” (or “certainly probable”) and the like?

In another nearby thread, **Skald the Rhymer** ’s eccentric billionaire offers YA dare for $500,000. **drewtwo99** is either certainly probable or probably certain to take him up on it, but only probably so (but at least he’s sure of that). 😛 (ETA: Upon re-reading, that is, if Eccentric Billionaire is open to negotiating the purse.)

> [@Would you agree to a year of blindness for half a million bucks?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-agree-to-a-year-of-blindness-for-half-a-million-bucks/628721/37):
>
> Count me out if it’s only 500k. If it were several million, then sure I’d probably do it.

Is “sure I’d probably” oxymoronic or (since others have nitpicked the meaning of “oxymoron”) otherwise improbable?

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