What textbooks and/or texts would you recommend for an undergraduate Rhetorical Theory class? [more inside]
posted by BlooPen on Nov 2, 2009 - 6 answers

What are the best books to read to learn how to use rhetoric effectively?
posted by Pants! on May 13, 2009 - 6 answers

Do you know of songs whose lyrics came from a speech? [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Apr 27, 2009 - 23 answers

In "Thunder Road", the lyric "Roy Orbison singing for the lonely, hey that's me and I want you only, don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again" can be interpreted differently depending on where you break the line, before or after the word "only". Is there a name for this particular poetic device? Do you know of other examples? [more inside]
posted by griffey on Mar 7, 2009 - 8 answers

Is the Science of Listener Attention a real thing? If not, is there anything similar I can learn? [more inside]
posted by chrisalbon on Feb 28, 2009 - 5 answers

Historyfilter: Marcus Tullius Cicero is often cited as being one of the greatest orators, lawyers and public speakers of Roman and indeed Western history. Why? [more inside]
posted by tim_in_oz on Jan 19, 2009 - 26 answers

Linguists and debaters! Does this type of argument have a name? [more inside]
posted by moxiedoll on Jan 3, 2009 - 27 answers

Have any of you ever thrown a book across a room? [more inside]
posted by cgc373 on Dec 22, 2008 - 160 answers

Describe some current issues in English Rhetoric and/or Composition that are interesting to you. [more inside]
posted by hpliferaft on Dec 3, 2008 - 7 answers

Is there a name for this style of joking? Set-up: Person A asks a question. Punchline: Person B -- by pretending to misunderstand the question -- gives an unexpected response. The Marx Bros used this style a lot, and I see it over and over on "Flight of the Conchords. " ALSO: Can anyone offer further examples of this? Thank you so much! :-)
posted by coizero on Apr 19, 2008 - 15 answers

Is there already a precise term for the rhetorical fallacy/trick described in the following scenario: Guy A and B are arguing. Guy A makes an assertion. Guy B counters the assertion with an argument of his own. Guy A ignores the specifics of Guy B’s argument, and asserts that Guy B’s argument does not genuinely reflect Guy B’s position (i.e., Guy A says that there are certain unstated ‘real’ reasons Guy B holds the particular position he’s arguing for, and Guy A then goes on to expound on those real reasons to Guy B on his behalf). [more inside]
posted by saulgoodman on Apr 18, 2008 - 13 answers

What's the word for saying something without saying it? [more inside]
posted by suedehead on Mar 5, 2008 - 18 answers

What are some instances of a political issue whose public perception has been almost paradoxically inverted through political discourse? [more inside]
posted by lunchbox on Feb 26, 2008 - 13 answers

Seeking a word: Is there a term other than "euphemism" for couching an insult in fancy-sounding words, so your insult sounds less harsh to the inattentive ear? [more inside]
posted by LobsterMitten on Dec 12, 2007 - 63 answers

Help me find debates with a clear winner. [more inside]
posted by StrikeTheViol on Nov 17, 2007 - 25 answers

What is the formal Latin name of this rhetorical device? [more inside]
posted by whir on Aug 20, 2007 - 12 answers

Where do I find a ranking of graduate programs in communications arts and sciences in the United States? [more inside]
posted by parmanparman on Jun 6, 2007 - 5 answers

When I look at the amazingly eloquent, sophisticated speeches of the past (think those of Milton, Lincoln, Churchill, Gandhi, and many more), I wonder: who are the towering orators of our generation -- the combined profound thinkers, moving speakers, and verbal artists of exquisite capacity?
posted by shivohum on Jun 3, 2007 - 46 answers

i think there is a term--rhetorical or otherwise-- for the way "conspiracy theory" can serve to cloud the environment of ideas thereby rendering politically unpopular notions inert regardless of their veracity. anybody know what im struggling to effin describe and label?
posted by oigocosas on Apr 18, 2007 - 27 answers

Can anyone recommend any good books on rhetorical devices? [more inside]
posted by New Frontier on Sep 16, 2006 - 8 answers

How far can attorneys go in appealing to a jury's emotions? Is there any restriction, formal or informal, on the use of such tactics? What precedent is there for their excessive use? [more inside]
posted by Embryo on Apr 12, 2006 - 26 answers

Anyone know where I can find MP3s of succesful oral arguments of skilled attorneys? Okay, so I should ask a law librarian, but y'all are just so handy! [more inside]
posted by prettyboyfloyd on Mar 30, 2005 - 5 answers

Kleenex = any facial tissue. Xerox = any copy machine. "There are thousands of Milky Ways out there."

What's the word for using the name of a specific thing to refer to all things in its class? It's metonymy, right, but is it synecdoche? Is it antonomasia? Help!
posted by goatdog on Jan 28, 2005 - 36 answers