| Juxtaposition is the placing, side by side, of two | | | | 'sharp point,' 'killed dead,' 'sandy beach,' 'young |
| ideas or items usually for the purpose of | | | | child,' 'positive praise,' and 'angry rage' are |
| comparison or contrast.I staged an event at | | | | pleonasms.Here are some ways you can use |
| Washington National Airport where I had a huge | | | | comical juxtaposition in a business world public |
| 450-pound man and a very small man (three feet | | | | speaking engagement:* Use a large copy of your |
| eleven inches) dressed as chauffeurs. They were | | | | company logo or company name on a slide or |
| waiting at the gate for a man from Japan arriving | | | | overhead, or in a drawing on your flipchart. Next |
| for his first visit to the United States.To take the | | | | to it, place extremely small logos or company |
| comical juxtaposition one step further, the small | | | | names of your competitors. Use this as a greeting |
| man was holding a gigantic sign with the Japanese | | | | slide to a meeting or let it pop up as a slide or |
| man's name on it and the extra large man was | | | | overhead at a strategic point in your presentation. |
| holding a similar sign, except it was about the size | | | | You could draw an outline of a large duck around |
| of a business card. Believe me, we had the | | | | your company logo and little duckling outlines |
| attention of everyone in the gate area. What a | | | | around the competition. You could say: 'Our |
| visual!Now let's look at two specialized types of | | | | company was born to lead and the others were |
| juxtaposition: oxymoron and | | | | meant to follow.'* Use an oxymoron in |
| pleonasm.OxymoronWarren S. Blumenfeld, Ph.D., in | | | | conjunction with a simile to drive home the point |
| his book Pretty Ugly states, 'I {passively tried} to | | | | that something is a little out of kilter. You could |
| warn you oxymorons had {almost absolutely} no | | | | say, 'Acme Co. claims that its market share is |
| socially redeeming quality except that they make | | | | increasing, yet their sales are down while |
| people {smile out loud} and are addictive.' His first | | | | everyone elses' are up. It's just like a Jumbo |
| book on the subject was called Jumbo | | | | Shrimp. It just doesn't make sense.'* Invite a tall |
| Shrimp.According to Dr. Blumenfeld, ;An | | | | person and a short person on stage when you call |
| oxymoron is two concepts {usually two words} | | | | for audience participation. If you are considerably |
| that do not go together, but are used together. It | | | | shorter than the tall person say, 'I don't want you |
| is a bringing together of contradictory | | | | to talk down to me.' If you are considerably taller |
| expressions.' Terms like 'old news,' 'extensive | | | | than the short person say, 'I don't want you to |
| briefing,' 'direct circumvention' and 'random order' | | | | feel like I'm talking down to you.' (be careful that |
| are oxymorons. Also concepts like 'an advanced | | | | the person you get on stage is not overly |
| state of decline' and 'expecting a surprise' are | | | | sensitive about their height. |
| oxymorons.PleonasmCombinations like 'frozen ice,' | | | | |