Word Nerd: H is for Hyperbole
Hyperbole is exaggeration for effect, and I, for one, adore it. Okay maybe that’s hyperbolic, but I do like it a lot; once after I delivered a eulogy for a funeral, I was told by one mourner that I did such a good job of accentuating the positive, eliminating the negative and not messing with Mr. In-Between, she didn’t even recognize the deceased.
The cover for The Andrews Sisters “Accentuate the Positive” record; Al Jarreau, Chet Baker, and Bing Crosby are among the many who have memorably covered this song.
Here’s an example of hyperbole from the Trad Home article “Rediscovering a Classic,” May 2008 (note the words in bold):
“When Lynn and Frank Ehret moved to San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood just a little more than two years ago, they began with the best; a stately 1903 home by architect Albert Farr, who once designed a home for writer Jack London and whose addresses are coveted for their enduring beauty and their many heart-stopping details.”
Categories: Home | Tags: exaggeration, grammar, hyperbole, LANGUAGE, literally vs. figuratively, Richard lll, word nerd
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