2528: Parataxis Nov 14, 2021

Parataxis describes the syntax for the phenomenon of placing two (seemingly) unrelated ideas next to each other with minimal to no conjunction and leaving the listener to interpret any connection. In writing this is often employed for poetic uses, but certainly in speech this is more common as a result of one's train of thought. Otherwise, this is just to abbreviate the language such that two utterances might be assumed to be connected when the full understanding of the relationship is not considered so important. Even in speech though this effect can be used less randomly and instead bring more focus to an utterance which might be otherwise subordinated with a conjunction rather than standing on its own.

2525: Hendiadys Nov 11, 2021

Hendiadys is a literary term used to describe a sort of periphrasis wherein two words in which one could modify the other are instead connected with a conjunction like "this pie is good and hot", rather than "this is good, hot pie" which ostensibly means the same thing. Hendiadys does not indicate actually different clauses either, such as with the example before it would not mean to say the pie would be just as good cold, necessarily. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, "[o]h what a rogue and peasant slave am I?" the adjectives are certainly not to be considered separately. This exist very prevalently in Latin poetry such as "vinclis et carcere" (with chains and with prison) which effectively means "in prison chains" from the Aeneid, or in Biblical Hebrew with גר ותושב עמך (ger v'soshav imcha) literally 'a stranger and a resident with you' but meaning 'alien resident (i.e. convert) with you'.

2492: Merism Oct 8, 2021

As a literary device, referring to a while by mentioning the two ends of the spectrum—such as "searching high and low" as opposed to "searching everywhere"—is known as 'merism', from the Greek μερισμός (merismos) meaning 'partitioning'. In that case, it is understood one is not only searching high and also low, but in between too. This can paint a more vivid image, and add emphasis, and so is used as a poetic description often, though of course not always. The opening line of the Bible contains

את השמים ואת הארץ (es hashamayim ve-es ha'arets) "the sky [or 'heavens'] and the earth", but from Shema (Deuteronomy 6) ובשכבך ובקומך (u'vshachbcho u'vkumecho) "(and) in your lying down and in your getting up" in both a merism but also literal, describing the relative time of day.

2484: Irreversible Binomials Sep 30, 2021

A so-called irreversible binomial is a phrase which exists with separable words that occur in a fixed order, like 'fish and chips', 'fight or flight, 'or 'short and sweet'. These can exists for all types of words, including for those which are no longer productive, like 'kit and caboodle' or 'vim and vigor'. This leads to come pairs like 'time and time again' abbreviated as 'time and again' which would make 'again' sound like a noun and is ungrammatical, but here there is no loss in meaning. Many of these near-idiomatic phrases are also somewhat poetic in their structure, relying on rhymes or alliteration frequently. These nearly always use a conjunction either 'and' or 'or', but in some cases exceptional like 'hoity toity' this is not necessary.

2475: Asyndeton Sep 21, 2021

Asyndeton is a literary device of removing conjunctions between related clauses, such as the famous Latin line 'veni; vidi; vici' (I came; I saw; I conquered). These can be on the level of whole phrases and clauses, as in the example before, or merely a series of adjuncts "softly, carefully, she walked down the stairs" or other sorts of features just so long as the conjuncts have no conjunction. This literary device helps to add emphasis, memorability and a certain smoothness to the language.