Oxymorons

English can be a pretty odd language. Exhibit A: oxymorons. You know, figures of speech where contradictory terms appear together. Here a few of my favorites.

act naturally

working vacation

crash landing

freezer burn

plastic silverware

final draft

old news

student teacher

alone together

bittersweet

calculated risk

found missing

guest host

original copy

literal interpretation

deafening silence

dull roar

controlled chaos

random order

minor miracle

silent scream

small crowd

approximately equal

definite possibility

friendly fire

unbiased opinion

pretty ugly

zero deficit

same difference

seriously funny

soft rock

tragic comedy

And of course, everyone’s favorite…

jumbo shrimp