Figur ative Langu age What the hell is that?!

Simile Metaphor Symbolism Personification Alliteration Onomatopoeia Oxymoron Hyperbole Clichs Idioms Proverbs

Two fundamentally unlike things are explicitly compared, usually in a phrase introduced by like or as. To make descriptions more emphatic or vivid. Shrek: Ogres are like onions. Donkey: They stink? Shrek: Yes. No! Donkey: They make you cry? Shrek: No! Donkey: You leave them out in the sun, they get all brown, start sprouting little white hairs. Shrek: No! Layers! Onions have layers!
(Shrek, 2001)

Simile

Common pattern of simile: something [is] AS adjective AS something His skin was as cold as ice. It felt as hard as rock. She looked as gentle as a lamb. something [is] LIKE something My love is like a red, red rose. These cookies taste like garbage. He had a temper (that was) like a volcano. something [does] LIKE something He eats like a pig. He smokes like a chimney. They fought like cats and dogs.

Metaphor
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.
William Shakespeare

A figure of speech that says that one thing is

another different thing (Function) Allowed us to use fewer words and forces the reader or listener to find the similarities. The simplest form of metaphor is: "The [first thing] is a [second thing]."

 Her home was a prison. Characteristics of a prison could not leave, trapped. Reason unknown, but we understand a lot about her environment, how she felt and how she behaved.
Harry is a sheep. Characteristic They follow each other Harry is a follower, not a leader.

Difference between Simile & Metaphor

A simile compares two things using the
word like or as. i.e. My father grumbles like a bear in the mornings. A metaphor also compares two things, but it does not use the word like or as. i.e. My father is a bear in the mornings.
(English Language Arts Skills & Strategies: Level 8, Saddleback, 2005)

Symbolism
Symbolism occurs when a noun which has meaning in itself is used to represent something entirely different. i.e. Flags to show patriotism Statue of Liberty to show freedom Hercules to show strength etc.

Personification
vAn inanimate object or abstraction is given human qualities or abilities. i.e. "Oreo: Milks favorite cookie.
(slogan on a package of Oreo cookies)

"Fear knocked on the door. Faith answered. There was no one there."
(quoted by Christopher Moltisanti, The Sopranos)

Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
i.e. "Guinness is good for you.
(advertising slogan)

i.e. The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday. i.e. I scream, you scream, we all scream for icecream!

"Onomatopoeia every time I see ya My senses tell me hubba And I just can't disagree. I get a feeling in my heart that I can't describe. . . .

Onomatopoeia

It's sort of whack, whir, wheeze, whine Sputter, splat, squirt, scrape Clink, clank, clunk, clatter

Crash, bang, beep, buzz Ring, rip, roar, retch Twang, toot, tinkle, thud Pop, plop, plunk, pow Snort, snuck, sniff, smack Screech, splash, squish, squeak Jingle, rattle, squeal, boing Honk, hoot, hack, belch." (Todd Rundgren, "Onomatopoeia")

Imitation of sound associated with certain action we referred to.

Mooo~

Roar~

Howl~~ Awuu~

Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a combination of
contradictory words. It has also been called "the show-off" figure, one that gives voice to life's inherent conflicts and incongruities.

It was an open secret that the company had used a paid volunteer to test the plastic glasses. Although they were made using liquid gas technology and were an original copy that looked almost exactly like a more expensive brand, the volunteer thought that they were pretty ugly and that it would be simply impossible for the general public to accept them. On hearing this feedback, the company board was clearly confused and there was a deafening silence. This was a minor crisis and the only choice was to drop the product line.
(Much Ado About English. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2006)

Hyperbole
Exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement. Hyperbole is frequently used for humor. i.e. She's got tons of money. I have told you a million times not to lie! I will die if she asks me to dance.

Clichs
A trite expression. Effectiveness has been worn out through overuse
and excessive familiarity. i.e. The writing on the wall: something that is about to happen, something that is obvious

Example: Can't you see the writing on the wall! You need to get out of that business.

i.e. Don't do as I do, do as I say: Used when someone points out that you are being hypocritical (doing one thing while insisting that others that thing differently)
Example: Stop talking back! Don't do as I do, do as I say!

Idioms

Idiomatic Creativity: A Cognitive-Linguistic Model of Idiom-Representation and Idiom-variation in English By Andreas Langlotz, 2006, John Benjamin B.V.

In other way of definition

Idioms are phrases which people use in everyday language which do not make sense literally but we understand what they mean. For example: Its raining cats and dogs. Its LITERAL meaning suggests that cats and dogs are falling from the sky. We interpret it to mean that it is raining hard.

 Other examples: Young people today tend to go Dutch when they go out together. :: share together, i.e. meals. So Siti and Muhammad are an item, arent they? :: Romantically involved. Our neighbours were caught interfering with their electricity metre caught with their pants down! :: Get caught doing something bad or forbidden.

Difference Between an Idiom and a Cliche

An idiom is a phrase that means something else than the literal words. to get under someone's skin (to bother someone) She's getting under my skin these days! no spring chicken (not young) - Tom's no spring chicken. He's almost 70! A cliche is a phase which is considered overused (used too often) which can be literal or figurative in meaning. Here are some examples: the good old days (literal = in the past when things were better) - I remember my years at college. Yes, those were the good old days. tip of the iceberg (figurative = only the beginning, or just a small percentage) - The problems we are seeing are just tip of the iceberg.

:: Succeed in doing two things at the same time. ::

Kill 2 birds with one stone

:: 2 people who are very similar in many ways ::

Birds of a feather

:: Inquisitiveness can lead one into dangerous situations ::

Curiosity killed the cat

Proverbs
Wikipedia:
A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim. If a proverb is distinguished by particularly good phrasing, it may be known as an aphorism.
** maxin= motivational ** aphorism= original thought, spoken or written in a memorable form

A proverb is a short well-known expression that states a general truth or gives advice.

 Example: Laughter is the best medicine. Don't rush into doing something until you know how to do it. Look before you leap. Consider possible consequences before taking action. Procrastination is the thief of time. Delaying an action for too long is a waste of time. No news is good news. If the news was bad, we would hear of it. Since we have heard nothing, we can assume that all is well.

:: A small preventive treatment wards off serious problems ::

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

:: Experience and knowledge result in better judgment ::

Experience is the father of wisdom

:: Everybody needs a certain amount of relaxation. It is not good to work all the time ::

All work and no play makes jack a dull boy

References
Wikipedia http://languagearts.mrdonn.org/figurative.ht ml http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/i/idio m.asp http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/figur es-simile.htm http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/simileter m.htm

 http://grammar.about.com/od/rhetoricstyle/a /100-Awfully-Good-Examples-OfOxymorons.htm http://esl.about.com/od/vocabularyreference /a/v_cliche.htm

We are almost at the end of this presentation, here I would like to thank to Wikipedia and whoever he is which have had invented copy-paste and print screen, that allowed me to borrow notes from websites mentioned above.

Thank you for have borrowed me your ears.