The author is Dr. Mardy Grothe, and based on the titles of his other books the guy is into word play. "Ifferisms," "I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like," "Viva la Repartee," "Oxymoronica," "Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You," and "Neverisms." I myself have been a lifelong quote collector, but this guy is definitely in the major leagues of that hobby.
The foreword is by Richard Lederer, an author of 30 books related to word play and not to be confused (as I was) with William J. Lederer, author of The Ugly American. I'd read the book in my youth, and the name Lederer stuck with me, in spite of fifty plus years passing. It was a powerful story about Southeast Asia, which was turned into a film starring Marlon Brando in 1963. Between this and Graham Greene's The Quiet American, it quickly becomes apparent how moronic our involvement was in the Vietnam escalation.
Oops, this is supposed to be about word play. Let's get to it.
Dr. Grothe's book begin with an explanation of where his title comes from. Oxymoron is to Oximoronica as Eros is to Erotica and Exotic to Exotica. Since that doesn't explain too much, let's just say it is "quotations that contain incompatible or incongruous elements."
Most of us are familiar with jumbo shrimp. That's an oxymoron. So, this book is full of quotes that accomplish the same but on another level. Here are some examples.
"Even his ignorance is encyclopedic."--Stanislaw Lec
"Free love is too expensive."--Bernadette Devlin
"You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap."--Dolly Parton
After an introduction to his theme, with dozens of examples, the author clumps his quotations into chapters by theme. The Human Condition, Oxymoronica on Stage & Screen, Inadvertent Oxymoronica, Political Oxymoronica, and nine other categories.
The book includes classic and obscure sources. Here are a couple witticisms from the chapter on The Human Condition:
"We learn from experience that men never
learn anything from experience."--George Bernard Shaw
"The only certainty is that nothing is certain."--Plint the Younger
"Life is full of misery, loneliness and suffering--and it's all over much too soon."--Woody Allen
"A man chases a woman until she catches him."--Anonymous
"Their very silence is a loud cry."--Cicero
Reading this book makes me wish to find his others. If you find them first, tell me what you think.
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Related Links
Oxymoronica on Amazon. (Used copies as low as $2)
My wordplay story constructed of homonyms: How Eye One The Wore
Creating Crossword Puzzles for Fun & Profit
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