\(\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}Ambiguity \\ \text{The presence of two or more possible} \\ \text{meanings in any passage.} \\ \\ \text{"We saw her duck."} \\ \\ \text{"I can't recommend this book too highly."} \\ \\ \text{Pentagon Plans Swell De{f}icit} \\ \text{(headline)} \\ \\ \text{Leahy Wants FBI to Help Corrupt Iraqi Police} \\ \text{(headline)} \\ \\ \text{Prostitutes Appeal to Pope} \\ \text{(headline)} \\ \\ \text{Roy Rogers: More hay, Trigger?} \\ \text{Trigger: No thanks, Roy. I'm stuffed.} \end{array}\)
. . . . \(\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}Commoratio \\ \text{Dwelling on a point by re{p}eating it} \\ \text{several times in dif{f}erent ways.} \\ \\ \\
\text{"Brave Sir Robin ran away,} \\ \text{Bravely ran away, away.} \\ \text{When danger reared its ugly head,} \\ \text{He bravely turned his tail and fled.} \\ \text{Yes, Brave Sir Robin turned about;} \\ \text{Undoubtedly he chickened out.} \\ \text{Bravely taking to his feet, } \\ \text{He beat a very brave retreat . . ."} \\ (Monty\;Python\;and\;the\;Holy\;Grail) \end{array}\)
. \(\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\text{"Space is big. You just won't believe how} \\ \text{vastly, hugely, mind-boggling big it is.} \\ \text{I mean, you may think it's a long way} \\ \text{down the road to the chemist's,} \\ \text{but that's just peanuts to space."} \\ \text{(Douglass Adams, }The\;Hitchhiker's \\ Guide\;to\;the\;Galaxy) \end{array}\)
\(\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\text{"He's passed on! The parrot is no more!} \\ \text{He's expired and gone to meet his maker!} \\ \text{He's a stiff! Bereft of life! He rests in peace!} \\ \text{If you hadn't nailed him to the perch,} \\ \text{he'd be pushing up the daisies!} \\ \text{His metabolic processes are now history!} \\ \text{He's off the twig! He's kicked the bucket!} \\ \text{He's shuffled off his mortal coil,} \\ \text{rung down the curtain and joined} \\ \text{the bleeding choir invisible!} \\ \text{THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!"} \\ \text{(Monty Python, "The Dead Parrot Sketch")} \end{array}\)
