[Chethan B G]

Oxymoron:

An Oxymoron is defined as a phrase in which two words of opposite meanings are brought together....

Here are some funny oxymorons :

1) Clearly Misunderstood
2) Exact Estimate
3) Small Crowd
4) Act Naturally
5) Found Missing
6) Fully Empty
7) Pretty Ugly
8) Seriously Funny
9) Only Choice
10) Original Copies
11) Open Secret
12) Tragic Comedy
13) Foolish Wisdom
14) Liquid Gas

and people say the Mother of all Oxymorons is-

15) "Happily Married"
--------------------------

[Thad E Ginathom]

I thought the mother of all oxymorons was military intelligence!

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I thought the mother of all oxymorons was military intelligence!

Is it wrong to say "Father of all oxymorons"?


Which of the following is correct?

1. We don't have a choice.
2. We don't have the choice.

Is "choice" always plural?

[anupmathur]

We don't have a choice is correct.

Choice, per se, is singular. The plural form is choices.

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Choice, per se, is singular. The plural form is choices.

I could not get it.

But, where is the "choice" if it is singular?

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

I could not get it.

But, where is the "choice" if it is singular?

The choice is cake or death. The one you choose is, well, one, singular. Your choice is cake. Singular.

I do think though that we can use "the choice" in some context.
The choice of the nation was Dubya, unfortunately.
We didn't have the choice of Dubya.

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

Oxymoron:
--------------------------

Few years back, the baap of all Oxymorons was "Microsoft works!"

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

But, where is the "choice" if it is singular?

Originally Posted by mayankk

The choice is cake or death. The one you choose is, well, one, singular. Your choice is cake. Singular.

There are different uses of the word.

We can say that there are three choices: this, that, or the other, but you have only one decision to make, which is your choice.

The plural of choices can also be used when multiple choices have to be made: you will face choices as you journey through life.

Remember, though, that the word alternatives, is limited to two.

[reverse_gear]

Originally Posted by mayankk

The choice is cake or death.

Nitpicking alert!

I would write this sentence in either of the following forms:

"The choice is EITHER cake or death."

"The available choices are cake AND death."

[Thad E Ginathom]

Among the choices are...

/Python-Mode

"The choice is EITHER cake or death."

Words in English can be invisible. Thus, in such a dramatic piece of dialogue, "Either" rather spoils the effect.

"The available choices are cake AND death."

"available" might even be tautological? How about: The choices are: cake or death

Thanks! I'll have the Red Velvet please!

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

....
Thanks! I'll have the Red Velvet please!

The cake's chocolate, so it'll have to be death, I'm afraid!

[noopster]

"The choice is either cake or death" sounds wrong. "The choice is between cake and death" is better on the ears, or just drop that completely like OP did.
"Either" works better in active voice. "Choose either cake or death".

[Thad E Ginathom]

Any or all those of those might work, depending on the context, especially if we are writing dialogue.

[mallumowgli]

I would agree with Noopster. 'The choice is either cake or death' sounds wrong. Or maybe not grammatically wrong - but 'choice' seems to be redundant in the sentence. And as Thad said, omitting the 'either' altogether provides a dramatic effect to the sentence

[amitoj]

What about Death By Chocolate?

To put it more dramatically, I'd say, "Choose cake or die!!"
Goes along the lines of New Hampshire state's motto, "Live free or die"