let's talk about oxymoron

amazed

For those who might not sure what oxymoron is; it is a collocation of words that have contradictory or sharply incongruous.

I am sure some my friends here have few or even lots of oxymoron that they can share with us.

I would like to share some.  I am sure there're lots out there but I will write 10 that came to mind mine.. and will add up later on after I receive some responses from you.


Tight slacks

Definite maybe

Pretty ugly

Twelve-ounce pound cake

Diet ice cream

Rap music

Working vacation

Exact estimate

Religious tolerance

and my favourite - Microsoft Works  



Come to think of this, I am sure that there's been a number of times you've been using oxymoron without even realize it...

mbhcsf

is it close to being redundant?

like

return back

orange colour/



okay


a fish ( singular)

when to use the plural form of fish?

has there been phrases like many Fish(es)...

amazed

oxymoron is not a redundant  such as an example you gave - return back; it is more like 2 words that have an opposite meaning..

Lemme think of another one -  a ha   Jumbo shrimp...

Jumbo is big,    shrimp is small and yet we use that word quite often...

another example  bittersweet...

either it is bitter  or it is sweet  but we use one word to describe a sentiment or a type of chocolate  :  bittersweet..

Regarding fishes, "fishes" is used like "peoples" - not to denote the plural or the word"fish" or "person", but to indicate different types of those things,like the peoples of the world or the fishes of the ocean.