There's a Name for It (Part Two)

In our Glossary of Grammatical & Rhetorical Terms, you'll find a name for . . .

• the nonstandard mark of punctuation that combines a question mark with an exclamation point: interrobang


• a command (such as Pass the peas) put in the form of a question (Would you mind passing the peas?) to avoid giving offense: whimperative


• a plural form of a noun (such as cod or cattle) that is identical to the singular form: zero plural


• a word or phrase that makes a statement somewhat less forceful or assertive: verbal hedge


• straight talk--an expression that's neither a euphemism nor a dysphemism: orthophemism


• the notion that any thought a person can have can be formulated in language, and that anything which can be expressed in one language can also be expressed in another: the principle of effability


• a word formed by dropping one or more syllables from a polysyllabic word, such as fax from facsimile: clipping


• speech or writing that's deliberately obscure: skotison

You'll find examples and explanations of these and over 700 other language-related words and phrases in our Glossary of Grammatical & Rhetorical Terms.

More Words About Words:

• There's a Name for It
• Twenty Rhetorical Terms That We Never Learned in School
• AP English Language and Composition Exam: 80 Key Terms