# These phrases are...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 12, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326 "2005-01-12T03:26:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/1 "2005-01-12T03:26:16Z")
“Miltary intelligence” and “Criminal Justice” are given as examples of…?
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/2 "2005-01-12T03:28:25Z")
Oxymorons.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/3 "2005-01-12T03:29:48Z")
Thank you.
I owe you a beer or RC cola or whatever.
Thanks again.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/4 "2005-01-12T03:36:51Z")
“Contradictions in terms” as well.
Like perspicacious _Dionaea muscipula_.
;j
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/5 "2005-01-12T04:02:02Z")
Ladies and Gentlemen, Aesiron may look and talk like a dummy, but make no mistake…he _is_ a dummy.
🙂
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### Author:  [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/6 "2005-01-12T14:39:28Z")
As opposed to a redundancy, such as “insurance fraud.”
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### Author:  [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/7 "2005-01-12T15:27:17Z")
> [@bluethree](#):
>
> As opposed to a redundancy, such as “insurance fraud.”
Could you post that again?
😃
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### Author:  [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/8 "2005-01-12T15:54:41Z")
My favorite oxymoron:
“Christian Science”
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/9 "2005-01-12T17:32:43Z")
While “military intelligence” and such are often touted as oxymorons, they are not oxymorons in the literary sense. They are jokes/political statements presented as purported oxymorons. For examples of true oxymorons, check [here](http://http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/Curriculum/Literary/Oxymoron.html#anchor2947588)
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/10 "2005-01-12T18:55:53Z")
Thank you, **GaryT**. You’re right – “military intelligence” is not an oxymoron, nor is “jumbo shrimp.”
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### Author:  [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/11 "2005-01-12T19:04:41Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> Thank you, **GaryT**. You’re right – “military intelligence” is not an oxymoron, nor is “jumbo shrimp.”
I think ‘jumbo shrimp’ is a lot closer to being an oxymoron… it would be if you were referring to a person, after all… (ie a shrimp as in a small or short person.) But jumbo shrimp in terms of shellfish is not oxymoronic.
I don’t think you could find a dictionary definition of “military” that comes out as an opposite to ‘intelligent’ without a LOT of stretching, on the other hand. 🙂
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/12 "2005-01-12T19:25:34Z")
> [@Gary T](#):
>
> they are not oxymorons in the literary sense.
Of course not, I hoped they would get my answer quickly as it is often used in jest. Mrs. Plant asked me for the term and as is usual where Mrs. Plant is concerned my mind went blank.
Thanks again.
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/13 "2005-01-12T19:39:24Z")
> [@Gary T](#):
>
> For examples of true oxymorons, check [here](http://http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/Curriculum/Literary/Oxymoron.html#anchor2947588)
Not quite – [fixed link](http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/Curriculum/Literary/Oxymoron.html#anchor2947588).
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### Author:  [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2005, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/14 "2005-01-16T06:23:08Z")
Maybe whether or not this is a “true” oxymoron belongs in Great Debates, but my favorite example is:
**Justice Renquist**
C’mon… it’s funny!
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### Author:  [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2005, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/15 "2005-01-16T08:27:51Z")
And here I thought the original link (which took me to a page advertising Microsoft Windows’ Anti-Spyware capability) was one of the cleverest damn things I’d ever seen.
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/these-phrases-are/284326/16 "2005-01-16T14:29:27Z")
‘Non-repetitive tautology’ is an oxymoron.
‘Slef-opposing oxymoron’ is a tautology.
Thank you.