Let’s have a look at some of them –

Oximoron – a self conflicting term

• Honest liar
• Pretty ugly
• Only choice
• Same difference

Onomatopoeia – A word that sounds like what it describes

• Buzz
• Sizzle
• Snap
• Hiss

Alliteration – words close together, starting with the same consonant, usually to create impact

• Dreaming dreams
• Bad blood
• Coca cola
• Mass misery

Palindrome – a word or sentence that is the same whether read forward of backwards

• Madam I’m Adam
• racecar
• top spot
• Red rum, sir, is murder

Tautology – an expression that says the same thing twice

• I went to see her personally
• Either you did or you didn’t
• Evening sunset
• Frozen ice

Malapropism – inadvertent use of a similar sounding word

• The police apprehended two auspicious persons
• The elephant charged and I was putrified
• I want to get my colours right so I’m going to call in an inferior decorator
• Now he’s retired he’ll just fade into Bolivian

Spoonerism – sometimes deliberate swapping of the beginnings of a pair of words

• The queer old dean instead of the dear old queen
• A blushing crow instead of a crushing blow
• It’s kisstomary to cuss the bride instead of it’s customary to kiss the bride
• I hissed his mystery class instead of I missed his history class

Euphemism – An expression substituted to soften the impact of the harsher reality

• “Load shedding” instead of what it really is “Rolling blackouts”

Doublespeak – language that deliberately obscures or distorts the meaning

• “Job opportunities” sounds like new jobs, but of course, it isn’t.