;Posted on 10/11/2016 10:29:38 PM PDT by Louis Foxwell
;In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".
parrhesia [pa REE syuh, zyuh]
adjective
Parrhesia is boldness of speech, in oratorical rhetoric, i.e., the art of influencing an audience, parrhesia, in the words of William Safire (On Language, in the NYT magazine of Oct 21, 1984), "has a specialized meaning: 'warning of potential offense, and asking pardon in advance.'"
The expression with all due respect is an example of parrhesia. What it really means is, "I haven't the slightest respect for you and certainly not for what you just said, and I'm going to show you up before this prestigious audience for the blithering idiot you are...!"
In Words Fail Me (Hamish Hamilton, London 1980), the English linguist and columnist Philip Howard calls with all respect a "Benedict Arnold phrase," and goes on: "In academic circles, the man who begins his remarks with respect means 'I am about to demolish your argument and if possible you with a buzz-saw of disrespect.'"
Mr Howard then quotes Alfred Friendly, the witty Washington Post journalist of yore: "When, in argument, an Englishman says to me 'With all respect...,' I know he means that he has no respect at all for what I have said...I rather like it. In telegraphing the punch, it gives me a moment to prepare myself for the fact that he is about to knock the neck off a bottle and ream me a new arse-hole with what remains."
Mr Safire quotes President Reagan's frequent oratorical use of "forgive me, but..." as an example of parrhesia, which amounts to a warning that he is about to follow up his plea for forgiveness with a withering blast at his political adversary.
The word comes from the Greek prefix para- (beside, beyond - as in, e.g. parapsychology) plus rhesis (speech).
Wonderful derivation!
Pardon me, but I cannot even imagine how the literary giants among us will use this word. It seems, however, too good to pass up, given the tenor of current political discourse.
Forgive my parrhesia, but it is a noun, not an adjective.
Trump’s tone and body English indicated parrhesia but with his actual words he went for the jugular: “Because you’d be in jail.”
I had parrhesia the other day when I ate something that disagreed with me, said the cannibal.
The debate was a free for all
an unfair three to one brawl
Parrhesia for Trump
Gave him a bump
Which stopped his polling free fall.
I trust that this limerick helps “ya”
Avoid Word of the Day amnesia
Use this word
I’ve never heard
Whenever you intend to commit parrhesia
Trump’s parrhesia belies his pussy cat nature.
To the voters, I offer this parrhesia
I’m sorry, but these facts won’t please ya’
Hillary’s guilty of crime
Should be doing hard time
But you’re numb from mainstream anesthesia
How ya gonna keep ‘em down on the farm, after they’ve heard parrhesia?
“Parrhesis is a noun, not an adjective.”
i neglected to check that. My bad. It is a noun, quite so.
BTW, we are looking for examples of parrhesia, not so much the use of the word.
How’re ya gonna keep on the farm after they’ve seen Karl Hungus?
Quite so. Trump is unafraid, an essential element of effective parrhesia.
Cannibals are always going around eating disagreeable people. How many of their sweetmeats are thrilled at the prospect? Te cannibal might begin by offering his meal with a blessing such as, “Before we dine, let us give thanks for the corpulence of our guest.”
Excellent, and oh so true. Out of the mouth of a gentleman came words of fire, for which he offered no apology.
Good advice.
Not so much purring kitten as crouching lion.
Wonderful. The literary juices are flowing this AM.
It is worth giving Donald the presidency just to see if he will send Hill to jail.
Yes! The farmers are coming, with pitchforks and axes.
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