oxymorons

One of my favourite words and some great uses, which I can never think of when I want one.

"She slept all night on a sleepless pillow". Don't know where it comes from but was told at school that it was an oxymoron.

Most, if not all, of the examples in the OP make perfectly good sense when you think about it.

Leisure industry

Almost unique

I'd call the sleepless pillow a transferred epithet, myself, but I suppose it is an oxymoron too.

"Her hair is bright with the depths of darkness
Her eyes are dark with excess of light"
I thought this was by Omar Khayyam, but I can't find it on Google.

(PS I've found it - got it wrong - "Her hair was bright with depths of darkness; her eyes were dark with excess of light" Layla, Pearl of the Night Arabian Nights story from Edmund Dulac's Picture-Book for the French Red Cross )

Yes. Almost unique is a good one.

Act naturally.

Or.....
Somewhat unique

Awfully good
Pretty ugly
Deafening silence
Almost exactly
Noticeable by his absence
Open secret

I love these! And I love the word oxymoron too!

Almost unique is good. I recall a box of drawstring teabags I bought which said on the packaging something like "80 unique drawstring teabags". How can you have 80 of something that is unique?

Doing nothing.

Holy war.

Just reminded me of a racist, rather thick MP we once had, Pauline Hanson. Her electorate, where I lived, was called Oxley, so her nickname became 'The Oxleymoron'.

One in my local paper a while ago:

The area was decimated - at least 75% was destroyed

Military intelligence.

A lot of radio 4 listeners.

There's an online cycle shop who's name I forget, with a webpage that proudly pronounces "We specialise in everything".

I can just visualise an oxymoron, can't you? Big, jutting chin, nasty look in his eyes, beer belly, masses of tattoos, shaved head, vicious dog, swagger...

UKIP MEP?

Our Oxleymoron (as I said before: this thread reminded me of a racist, rather thick MP we once had, Pauline Hanson. Her electorate, where I lived, was called Oxley, so her nickname became 'The Oxleymoron'.)

She was in her 40s, short red hair, curvy body, cruel mouth both physically, and what came out of it, and with a failure to understand any of the issues of the day.

Older blokes fancied her. Thinking women were revolted by her.

Oh, and here's a link to the oxley moron
angryexile.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/oxley-moron.html

She sounds delightful! I had quite a turn when it mentioned Ipswich, I thought for a moment she really had come over here, I live not far from the original! Loved the song, he is obviously a keen fan.

I'll allow a UKIP MEP jen. They are ugly enough internally.

Bigger half

Working holiday

The charming Jeremy Clarkson

DBH is currently watching a recording of him. Each to their own.

Sleeping partner.