MTA (More Trouble Ahead) nicknames

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:28 AM -0500 3/30/05, Fred Shapiro wrote:
>On Wed, 30 Mar 2005, Laurence Horn wrote:
>
>>  >>  fielding a powerhouse Division II football team.
>>  >              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>  >Surely this is an oxymoron (FSVO "oxymoron")?
>>  >
>>  Are "large mouse", "small elephant", and similar relativized modifier
>>  constructions considered oxymoronic?
>
>Certainly expressions like "powerhouse Division II football team" are
>commonly used in sports.  Like "ace of the Colorado Rockies pitching
>staff."
>
>I should note, though, that "jumbo shrimp," which is similar to "large
>mouse,"  is considered to be a classic oxymoron.

I'm not sure they're entirely similar, since "large" is an unmarked
adjective, so it's easier to read "large mouse", or "large shrimp"
for that matter, as 'relatively large...' than it is to read "jumbo
shrimp" as 'relatively jumbo'.  I'd think any sort of item X that has
size could be described as a large X without oxymoronicity if it's
(significantly?) larger than the average X.

>
>(I nominate "moderate Republican" as a new classic oxymoron.)
>
Well, there's been a sighting of one, but it's Sen. Arnold Vinick
(R-Cal.), the Republican nominee played by Alan Alda on The West
Wing, and I guess he doesn't count.  sigh.

L