# Whats the word for this?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-this/230530>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 22, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-this/230530 "2004-02-22T20:27:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tallayan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Tallayan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tallayan)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-this/230530/1 "2004-02-22T20:27:53Z")

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OK, someone just asked me this question as I’m usually good with words but I’m drawing a blank. The example he gave was with Ted Kennedy after the whole Chappaquiddick thing. His opponents in politics would then regularily say on TV durin debates that they would not mention the Chappaquiddick, mentioning Chappaquiddick would be horrible, they would never even say the word Chappaquiddick, let alone mention the Horrible events that took place there etc. Now The person who asked me this is wondering what the word is for doing that sort of thing, saying how you are not going to mention the word by mentioning it.

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-this/230530/2 "2004-02-22T20:53:46Z")

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It’s a rhetorical device called **apophasis**.

> [@](#):
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> asserts or emphasizes something by pointedly seeming to pass over, ignore, or deny it. This device has both legitimate and illegitimate uses. Legitimately, a writer uses it to call attention to sensitive or inflammatory facts or statements while he remains apparently detached from them.

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**Author:** ![Tallayan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Tallayan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tallayan)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-this/230530/3 "2004-02-23T01:46:15Z")

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A million and one thanks