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28/02/2016
自打嘴巴
這裏說的自打嘴巴，是指自相矛盾的措詞，前言與後語互相排斥mutually exclusive。可是，生活隨口噏，許多的話都漸漸約定俗成，即使想深一層似乎有點兒不大對頭，但講慣聽慣了，也就集體覺得無所謂。
最尋常的一個例子，許就是free gift。既然是禮物，當然不必畀錢，卻又要一提是免費的，簡直多餘。但這些年下來，各大商場的各大櫃枱都煞有介事地推出free gifts，洗腦效應如是，習慣成自然，大家也就見怪不怪。
當然，也有一些已得人人認可的矛盾用語，英文叫oxymoron，隨時道來，沒有人會異議，包括：
– cold hotdog 冰凍熱狗
– diet ice-cream 減肥雪糕
– open secret 公開的秘密
– elevated subway 地面的隧道
– accurate estimate 準確的估算
– active retirement 活躍的退休（即退而不休）
– a firm “maybe” 肯定的「或者」
– finally again 再次的最後
– valuable trash 值錢的垃圾（當然係講環保）
– virtual reality 虛擬現實（通常亦指網上）
另外的例子有：
Group selfie 團體自拍。原本self、selfie 是很個人的，但又牽涉一大班人，來了成個group，好生對立感。
‧ At the end of the event we decided to have a group selfie. 活動完結之際，我們決定來個團體自拍。
Bitter sweet 既苦且甜。苦與甜，原本相反，但又有好些滋味確係兩者夾雜。
‧ That was a bitter sweet victory. 那是一場苦甜交集的勝利。
Conscripted/paid volunteer 受徵召╱受僱的義工。老大一個問題是，義工既「義」，應該一是自願，二是不收錢。但現實情況常見好多機構都會向義工付車馬費，不讓義工自行貼錢來幫忙。
當然也另有玩字的講法，像「沒有性格就是性格」。例：
‧ They remain DECIDEDLY UNDECIDED on the issue. 他們就議題仍然決斷地未能決斷。
‧ That is a CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT character. 那是個一貫地未能一貫的人。
‧ He gave his USUALLY UNUSUAL reply. 他給了一個如常地不尋常的答覆。
‧ That so-called professor is UNCOMMONLY COMMON an academic. 那個所謂教授是個普通得不能再普通的學者。
‧ The political party’s stance is UNAMBIGUOUSLY AMBIGUOUS. 那個政黨的立場毫不含糊地含糊。還有以下兩句，乍聽乍讀好像沒有問題，但斟酌一下，也有可笑的地方。
‧ The boy scouts were told to make haste slowly. Make haste 從速，slowly 卻是慢慢，亦即「慢慢地快」。
‧ Could you stop telling me to act naturally. Act 可以指扮演，naturally 卻是自然地，即不必「演」。叫人act naturally，即係扮自在。