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Mr. Tom Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary

Use of oxymoron


Hi

Could you please tell me if the yellow part is an oxymoron?

The cup of tea balanced precariously on her knee.

[If it is balanced, it cannot be precarious and/or vice versa.]

Thanks,

Tom
  

Top answer

Hi, If I balanced on a tight-rope in a circus, my balance would be precarious. If I balanced on a 4-inch beam, my balance would probably not be precarious. Clive

— Clive

  • Hi, If I balanced on a tight-rope in a circus, my balance would be precarious.
  • If I balanced on a 4-inch beam, my balance would probably not be precarious.
  • Clive
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2 Answers
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Hi,



If I balanced on a tight-rope in a circus, my balance would be precarious.



If I balanced on a 4-inch beam, my balance would probably not be precarious.



Clive
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Mr. TomCould you please tell me if the yellow part is an oxymoron?
The cup of tea balanced precariously on her knee.
No. There's nothing incongruous or contradictory here considering how these words are commonly used in English. The idea is that the cup is balanced (for now), but in danger of losing its balance at any moment.

CJ
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