On Sep 15, 5:20 am, Dan Dassow  wrote:   
   > On Sep 14, 10:21 am, Kathryn Huxtable    
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > > On 2010-09-13 16:30:56 -0500, Dan Dassow said:   
   >   
   > > > On Sep 13, 1:09 pm, Kathryn Huxtable    
   > > > wrote:   
   > > >> [...]   
   > > >> The "Holy Roman Empire". I think it was Voltaire who pointed out that   
   > > >> it was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire. There should be a word   
   > > >> for such things... Maybe there is.   
   >   
   > > >> -K-   
   >   
   > > >http://www.onelook.com/?loc=lemma&w=oxymoron   
   >   
   > > > The closest word I can think of is oxymoron, conjoining contradictory   
   > > > terms (as in "`deafening silence"). However, that doesn't quite   
   > > > capture the concept.   
   >   
   > > >http://www.onelook.com/?w=antiphrasis   
   >   
   > > > Another possibility is antiphrasis, the use of a word in a sense   
   > > > opposite to its normal sense (especially in irony).   
   >   
   > > Yes, but not quite right. There needs to be a word... I've thought this   
   > > for years.   
   >   
   > > -K-   
   >   
   > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-antonym   
   >   
   > An auto-antonym (sometimes spelled autantonym), or contranym   
   > (originally spelled contronym), is a word with a homograph (a word of   
   > the same spelling) that is also an antonym (a word with the opposite   
   > meaning). Variant names include antagonym, Janus word (after the Roman   
   > god), enantiodrome, and self-antonym.   
   >   
   > Therefore, "Holy Roman Empire" and similar phrases would be an auto-   
   > antonymic phrase or a contranymic phrase.   
   Does that fall into the "opposite" category?  Unless the Holy Roman   
   Empire was unholy (check) anti-Roman (possibly) and something that is   
   the opposite of an empire.   
   ===   
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   ===   
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