O is for Oxymoron

With a definite maybe I agreed to participate in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. Surprisingly, I've kept up so far. I'm terribly pleased. And today marks another week and another string of alphabetic posts. I'm almost exactly where I need to be and when I make this O-post, I'll be right on track.

Did you guess what I'm writing about from the intro? There are 3 examples. Okay, the title of the post makes it painfully obvious but would you have guessed anyway? Can you find the examples?

Today's writerly word is oxymoron (plural, oxymora).

Oxymoron is a phrase in which two (or more) incongruous words are used in conjunction to highlight an apparent contradiction. When used effectively, a well placed literary oxymoron reveals a deeper truth through it's contradiction.

Shakespeare was masterful in his use of oxymora. Examples include:

Romeo & Juliet: sweet sorrow
A Midsummer Night's Dream: tragical mirth
Julius Caesar: fearful bravery

Some oxymora are so frequently used they become part of everyday language. Examples:

Good grief
Act natural
Found missing
Small crowd
Pretty ugly
Working vacation
Clearly misunderstood

Yeah, I love a good oxymoron because, you know, I'm a sophisticated redneck.

PS. You may find this interesting: P is for Paradox: What is the Difference Between a Paradox and an Oxymoron?

Source: Literary Terms and Definitions