OXIMORONS

Oxymoron (plural oxymora also called Paradox)-- Using contradiction in a manner that oddly makes sense.  An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which incongruous or seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side; a compressed paradox.

An oxymoron (usual plural oxymorons, more rarely oxymora) is a rhetorical device that uses an ostensible self-contradiction to illustrate a rhetorical point or to reveal a paradox. A more general meaning of "contradiction in terms" (not necessarily for rhetoric effect)

Oxymoron is a special form of Antithesis, whereby two contradictory qualities are predicted at once of the same thing.

If by 'oxymoron' we mean the juxtaposition of opposite concepts, then we could say that an 'oxymoron' contains an 'antithesis' in the second sense of the term, but that this antithesis is rhetorical or paradoxical (Peaceful Warrior, the title of a film)

An oxymoron is a figure of speech containing two words with an opposite meaning. E.g.: bittersweet, a modern classic, virtual reality, awfully good

* I can resist everything except / but temptation. Oscar Wilde
* The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. Oscar Wilde
* The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions.
* Without laws, we can have no freedom. 
* Cowards die many times before their deaths.
* (Ralph), if you're gonna be a phony, you might as well be a real phony.
* That building is a little bit big and pretty ugly.
* A yawn may be defined as a silent yell.
* We have to believe in free will. We have no choice.

 Oxymoronic Humor

* Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering—and it's all over much too soon.

* We sleep in separate rooms, we have dinner apart, we take separate vacations. We're doing everything we can to keep our marriage together.
* Last month I blew $5,000 on a reincarnation seminar. I figured, hey, you only live once.


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Oxymoron (plural oxymora also called Paradox)-- Using contradiction in a manner that oddly makes sense.  An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which incongruous or seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side; a compressed paradox. Plural: oxymora or oxymorons. Adjective:oxymoronic or oxymoric.
An oxymoron is formed when two words that don't normally go together are conjoined, creating a compressed paradox. A paradox is interesting because it is false and true at the same time. Paradoxical observations are often extraordinarily thought provoking, helping us see old realities in new ways. Somebody once said—quite wisely—that "a paradox is a truth standing on its head to get our attention."

The best oxymora seem to reveal a deeper truth through their contradictions. For instance, 


Oxymoronic Humor
"Oxymoronic humor, which is more cerebral than visceral, can be deliciously tasteful. Stand-up comics have always recognized this:

* Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering—and it's all over much too soon.
* We sleep in separate rooms, we have dinner apart, we take separate vacations. We're doing everything we can to keep our marriage together.
* Last month I blew $5,000 on a reincarnation seminar. I figured, hey, you only live once.

As you can see from these examples, oxymoronic humor is sophisticated humor. It's directed at the most important organ in the human body—the brain. The self-contradictory aspects of oxymoronic humor appeal to a special part of our mental apparatus, a part that enjoys thinking about some of life's most intriguing contradictions and paradoxes."