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epizeuxis

By Richard Nordquist, About.com

Definition:

Repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis, usually with no words in between.

Etymology:

From the Greek, "fastening together"

Examples:

  • "I undid the lantern cautiously--oh, so cautiously--cautiously."
    (Edgar Allan Poe, "The Tell-Tale Heart")


  • "I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly."
    (Will Ferrell in Anchorman)


  • "And my poor fool is hanged! No, no, no life!
    Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life,
    And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more,
    Never, never, never, never!"
    (William Shakespeare, King Lear)


  • "Give me a break! Give me a break! Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!"
    (advertising jingle)


  • "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"
    (Captain Renault in Casablanca)


  • "For a nation which has an almost evil reputation for bustle, bustle, bustle, and rush, rush, rush, we spend an enormous amount of time standing around in line in front of windows, just waiting."
    (Robert Benchley)


  • "Oh you need fluff, fluff, fluff
    To make a fluffer nutter,
    Marshmallow fluff and lots of peanut butter.
    First you spread, spread, spread
    Your bread with peanut butter,
    Add marshmallow fluff and have a fluffernutter."
    (advertising jingle)


  • Waitress: Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Bloody vikings. You can't have egg, bacon, spam and sausage without the spam.
    Mrs. Bun: I don't like spam!
    Mr. Bun: Shh dear, don't cause a fuss. I'll have your spam. I love it. I'm having spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, spam and spam.
    (Monty Python, "The Spam Sketch")


  • "All around me are familiar faces
    Worn out places, worn out faces
    Bright and early for their daily races
    Going nowhere, going nowhere.
    And their tears are filling up their glasses
    No expression, no expression
    Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
    No tomorrow, no tomorrow."
    ("Mad World," Tears for Fears)
Pronunciation: ep-uh-ZOOX-sis
Also Known As: cuckowspell, doublet, geminatio, underlay

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