For writers (and flacks and hacks), there are many weapons at your disposal to ensure the written word is lively and engaging. Here are but a few.
- Malapropism – a comic misuse of language
- Neologism – a made-up word
- Anagram – a word formed by transposing letters
- Acronym – a word formed by combining first letters or syllables of other words
- Antonym – a word that means the opposite of another word
- Paraphrase – to state something differently
- Double Entendre – a word or phrase with an extra, often racy meaning
- Metaphor – a figure of speech suggesting a likeness, but offering a description that is not literally applicable
- Homophones – words with the same pronunciation
- Cipher – secret writing, such as diplomatic writing
- Palindrome – a text that reads the same in reverse
- Spoonerism – transposing first letters of two or more words (i.e. right lane / light rain)
- Pangram – a phrase using all 26 letters of the alphabet
- Portmanteau – a word blend of two other words (i.e. breakfast and lunch becomes brunch)
- Retronym – a modified name for an old item
- Sesquipedalian – having many syllables
- Paronomasia – a pun or play of words
(ed. – We dug this helpful piece out of the By George archives. Through the next few weeks By George will post lists of these “wordplay weapons.”)
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