Name that Word
August 29, 2013 11:08 AM Subscribe
What word describes a statement where the second clause negates the first?
"We hate the food in the cafeteria and we won't eat it, and there isn’t nearly enough of it."
What word describes the type of sentence above? The second clause doesn't merely contradict the first, but really negates it. I'm know it's not paraprosdokian or oxymoron, but my google-fu is lacking on this one and I can't find the correct word. I'm sure it won't take the hive mind any time at all to tell me the correct answer. TIA.
"We hate the food in the cafeteria and we won't eat it, and there isn’t nearly enough of it."
What word describes the type of sentence above? The second clause doesn't merely contradict the first, but really negates it. I'm know it's not paraprosdokian or oxymoron, but my google-fu is lacking on this one and I can't find the correct word. I'm sure it won't take the hive mind any time at all to tell me the correct answer. TIA.
"Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded."
Maybe "contradiction in terms"?
posted by The otter lady at 11:18 AM on August 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
Maybe "contradiction in terms"?
posted by The otter lady at 11:18 AM on August 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
I would call that contradictio in adjecto, no idea if that's correct.
posted by The Toad at 11:34 AM on August 29, 2013
posted by The Toad at 11:34 AM on August 29, 2013
I have no idea how accurate the Freud reference is, since it's from a work of (semi-autobiographical) fiction, but:
posted by mbrubeck at 11:55 AM on August 29, 2013 [3 favorites]
He did not consider Fat cured (nor did anyone else), and anyway God didn’t do it. That is a logic which Freud attacks, by the way, the two-proposition self-cancelling structure. Freud considered this structure a revelation of rationalization. Someone is accused of stealing a horse, to which he replies, “I don't steal horses, and anyway you have a crummy horse.” If you ponder the reasoning in this you can see the actual thought-process behind it. The second statement does not reinforce the first. It only looks like it does. In terms of our perpetual theological disputations—brought on by Fat’s supposed encounter with the divine—the two-proposition self-cancelling structure would appear like this:—VALIS, by Philip K. Dick.
- God does not exist.
- And anyhow he’s stupid.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:55 AM on August 29, 2013 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Apparently the Freudian concept is also known as kettle logic, after a story used in Freud's Interpretation of Dreams.
posted by mbrubeck at 12:45 PM on August 29, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by mbrubeck at 12:45 PM on August 29, 2013 [3 favorites]
Garden path sentence encompasses this somewhat.
posted by klangklangston at 1:21 PM on August 29, 2013
posted by klangklangston at 1:21 PM on August 29, 2013
Will two words do? "Internally contradictory."
posted by bearwife at 3:44 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by bearwife at 3:44 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I had never heard of kettle logic before, but it does sound like the appropriate term for it, as it looks like the speaker is just piling on arguments against cafeteria food. With inconsistent results - they refuse to eat it, but they wouldn't get to eat it anyway, as there isn't enough of it.
posted by ipsative at 6:54 PM on August 29, 2013
posted by ipsative at 6:54 PM on August 29, 2013
Response by poster: I think Kettle Logic is the best answer. Thank you all.
posted by Dolley at 5:43 AM on August 30, 2013
posted by Dolley at 5:43 AM on August 30, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ubiquity at 11:14 AM on August 29, 2013 [2 favorites]