Figures of Speech Served Fresh

Quote: "It isn't just a matter of faith. It's a matter of science.” Senate majority leader and early-out-of-the-gate presidential aspirant Bill Frist, arguing for federal funding for stem-cell research

Figure of Speech: Syncrisis (SIN crih sis), the not-that-but-this figure

Pity the politician who has to balance faith and politics. Talk about strange bedfellows (not to imply that Senator Frist believes in bedfellows, God forbid). When Frist tried combining faith, medicine and politics for a brain-dead woman, the results were awkward. So what do you do when three quarters of The People want to use stem cells, and crucial supporters don't? Bring out the syncrisis! A figure of speech that compares or contrasts, it's most useful in defining an issue.

If we were Frist, we'd avoid playing golf in a thunderstorm.

Snappy Answer: "So which wins, Senator? Faith or science?"