Oxymoron

An oxymoron, also known as a contradiction in terms, was a figure of speech expressed as a juxtaposition of opposing ideas or paradox.

When Cyrano Jones explained that the new breed of tribbles he possessed were "safe tribbles," Doctor Leonard McCoy scoffed that "There's no such thing as a safe tribble." Spock backed up McCoy's statement, adding, "A safe tribble would be a contradiction in terms. " (TAS: "More Tribbles, More Troubles")

According to Jean-Luc Picard, "a Romulan defector is almost a contradiction in terms." (TNG: "The Defector")

Doctor Reyga was an individual who was used to skepticism, as he explained, "After all, a Ferengi scientist is almost a contradiction in terms." When Doctor Beverly Crusher attempted to protest, Reyga continued, "No, don't deny it. I know how the Ferengi are regarded." (TNG: "Suspicions")

Examples

"Act naturally"

• Star Trek: First Contact

"All alone"

• TOS: "The Man Trap", "Miri", Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; TNG: "The Measure Of A Man", "The Bonding", "The Wounded"; DS9: "Invasive Procedures", "Explorers", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "Time's Orphan", "The Sound of Her Voice"; VOY: "Phage", "One"

"All deliberate speed"

• TNG: "The Child"

"Almost exactly"

• TOS: "The Enterprise Incident"; TNG: "The Naked Now", "Lonely Among Us"; VOY: "Author, Author"

"Alone together"

• TNG: "Suddenly Human", "True Q"; DS9: "The Storyteller", "Fascination", "Starship Down", "Let He Who Is Without Sin..."; VOY: "Lifesigns", "Warlord"

"Artificial intelligence"

"Assisted suicide"

"Bittersweet"

• VOY: "Imperfection"

"Civil war"

"Crash landing"

"Expect the unexpected"

• TNG: "Coming of Age", "Lessons"

"Friendly fire"

• VOY: "Repentance"

"Growing smaller"

• TAS: "One of Our Planets Is Missing"

"Inside out"

• ENT: "Broken Bow", "Detained", "Canamar"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek Generations; TNG: "Evolution", "Booby Trap", "The Most Toys", "Reunion", "I Borg"; DS9: "Emissary", "Dramatis Personae"; VOY: "Scorpion", "In the Flesh", "Once Upon a Time", "Latent Image", "Bliss", "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy", "Unimatrix Zero", "Endgame"

"Mercy killing"

• TNG: "The Outrageous Okona"; VOY: "Prophecy"

"Minor miracle"

• DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight"

"Old news" / "Yesterday's news"

• TAS: "The Infinite Vulcan"; TNG: "Silicon Avatar"; VOY: "The Killing Game"
• DS9: "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang"; VOY: "Life Line"

"Only choice"

• ENT: "Strange New World", "Precious Cargo"; TOS: "The Enterprise Incident", TAS: "The Time Trap"; TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "11001001", "Q Who", "Ethics"; DS9: "Necessary Evil"; VOY: "Prime Factors"

"Open and shut case"

• DS9: "Bar Association"; VOY: "Alice"

"Pretty ugly"

• ENT: "Shockwave, Part II", "Minefield", "Hatchery"; TOS: "The Devil in the Dark"; DS9: "Battle Lines"

"Same difference"

• TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"

"Silent alarm"

• DS9: "Second Skin"

"Sweet sorrow"

• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

"Upside down"

• ENT: "Broken Bow", "Vanishing Point"; TNG: "The Last Outpost", "Coming of Age"; DS9: "Emissary", "The Ship", "Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Strange Bedfellows"; VOY: "Parturition", "Tattoo", "The Disease", "Blink of an Eye"

"Working vacation"

• DS9: "The Jem'Hadar"

"Yes and no"

• ENT: "The Xindi", "Impulse"; TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise"; VOY: "Barge of the Dead"

External links

• Oxymoron at Wikipedia
• Contradiction in terms at Wikipedia