Cronin & Company

Churchill and Rhetoric

On May 10, 1940, Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, was called to replace Neville Chamberlain as British Prime Minister. Chamberlain, ill-equipped to face the threat posed by Hitler, had resigned after a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons.

Churchill, who was known for his military leadership ability, quickly won popular support. Churchill was also known for the power of his oratory. In his first speech to the House of Commons, he declared, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

In creating his speeches, Churchill drew on the techniques of classical rhetoric. The list of rhetorical devices below, selected from Schott’s Original Miscellany, is illustrated with quotes from Churchill.

• LITOTES: Deliberate understatement for dramatic or comic effect. “Business carried on as usual during alterations on the map of Europe.”
• PARADOX: A contradictory but often revealing, logical anomaly. “…decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity…”
• EPIZEUXIS: Emphatic repetition: “…this is the lesson; never give in, never, never, never, never…”
• EPISTROPHE/ANTISTROPHE: Repetition of words at the end of successive phrases. “…the love of peace, the toil for peace, the strife for peace, the pursuit of peace…”
• ANTITHESIS: Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas with symmetrical phrasing. “If we are together nothing is impossible, if we are divided all will fail.”
• ANTIMETABOLE: Reversing the word order of a phrase previously employed. “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
• CACOPHONY: Employment of harsh phrasing. “…that hideous apparatus of aggression which gashed Holland into ruin and slavery…”
• ASSONANCE AND ALLITERATION: Repetition of vowel (assonance) and consonant (alliteration) sounds. “Let it roll. Let it roll on full flood, inexorable, irresistible, benignant, to broader lands and better days.”
• ANAPHORA: Repetition of words or phrases at the start of successive clauses. “We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight on the fields, and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”

Columbian Exposition Opens in Chicago

On May 1, 1893, President Grover Cleveland opened the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, IL. The great fair drew nearly 26 million visitors and had a major impact on architecture, the arts and America's sense of industrial optimism. The many firsts at the fair included the Ferris Wheel, built by George Ferris; the confection of popcorn, peanuts and molasses that became Cracker Jack; and the "clasp locker", a forerunner to the zipper. The US Postal Service issued its first picture postcards. The cards became so popular that the Private Mailing Authorization Act was passed in 1898 to allow private manufacturers' cards to mail at the 1 cent rate.  

Happy 100th Birthday to the Zipper

On April 13, 1913, Gideon Sundbach received a patent for the modern hookless fastener. His design improved on the clasp locker exhibited by Whitcomb Judson at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The popular zipper name was coined by the B. F. Goodrich Company in 1923.

You know how to drive a tractor....

"'You know how to drive, a tractor, but you'll never learn to drive a Ferrari.' If Enzo Ferrari hadn't made that crack one day early in the the 1960's when I was complaining for the nth time about the insoluble clutch problems I was having with his car, I might never have built my Lamborghinis." - Ferruccio Lamborghini 

Born on April 18, 1916 in Italy, Ferruccio Lamboghini was the son of grape farmers. His mechanical ability helped him become a highly successful tractor manufacturer. He enjoyed performance cars and purchased numerous Ferraris and Maseratis. He encountered clutch problems with all the Ferraris. When Enzo Ferrari dismissed his complaint, Lamborghini decided to build his own cars.

Heroes sung and unsung

February 2nd marks the anniversary of the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska. Relays of 20 mushers and 150 sled dogs delivered diptheria antitoxin in the face of blizzards and ferociously cold temperatures, saving the lives of many. Not only were the residents of Nome spared, but radio coverage of the relay increased inoculations throughout the U.S.

Balto, the lead dog for the last leg of the relay, became a national hero. A statue of him was built in New York's Central Park. However, Togo, the leader for 350 miles of the race, remained almost unknown. His statue was erected many years later in New York's Seward Park. Musher Leonhard Seppala, who drove the team led by Togo, considered him a star. Seppala also owned Balto, but considered him more of a "scrub dog". He lent Balto to Gunnar Kassen who drove the team the last leg of the relay. Balto came through, running over treacherous ice in the dark, keeping his team and the serum safe.

Great details on both dogs and the race, alond with period photos, are at: Balto's True Story.

First car insurance issued: avalanche of ads to follow

On February 1, 1898, the first car insurance policy was issued by Traveler's to Dr. Truman Martin of Buffalo, NY. Dr. Martin's policy cost $12.21 ($316.25 in today's dollars) and provided $5,000 in coverage. Accidents involving horses were of major concern at the time. 

Although it has never been documented, I suspect it was not long before Dr. Martin started seeing ads promising him he could save $4.07 by switching his car insurance.

Churchill on the Year Ahead

"Here's to a year of toil - a year of struggle and peril, and a long step forward to victory. May we all
come through safe and with honour." -Winston Churchill, New Year's Day 1942

Known for his elegant oratory and leadership of England during World War II, Winston Churchill was born on this date in 1874 to an aristocratic English father (Lord Randolph Churchil) and socialite American mother (the former Jennie Jerome). His remarks on courage and perseverance continue to inspire.

 

 

Mark Twain on Congress

"Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." Mark Twain (c. 1881)

Happy birthday to Mark Twain. Born on this date in 1835, he had a number of acerbic observations on Congress, many of which are likely being quoted today as Americans watch the unfolding grand opera around the fiscal cliff. He had a kindly word for Congress now and then, saying at one time that "there is still a very respectable minority of honest men in Congress". However, the criticisms seem more entertaining and enduring.

“You Can’t Outsource Personal”

At a recent luncheon, I sat next to Ben, the founder of a start-up called AndRockets. His company will lease small portions of commercial rockets, allowing companies and academic institutions to conduct space experiments without having to buy a rocket of their own. When I told him that my company made and sold greeting cards, he described how his previous company would send cards with handwritten notes and signatures of all the employees. "You can't outsource personal," he said. I thanked him for the great phrase and promised I would put it it to use. I wonder if someday I'll be able to afford to put a small ad on one of his rockets.

Dubious Literary Achievements: Thomas Bowdler

The English physician and philanthropist Thomas Bowdler was born July 11, 1754. His major work was the 10-volume Family Shakespeare, a "purified" version of Shakespeare's work, edited in collaboration with his sister, Henrietta Bowdler. Together they removed all the words that they deemed indecent or impious, creating a work that they believed to be suitable for family reading. The Bowdlers also "purified" Edward Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and selections from the Old Testament. Bowdler's name became synonymous with self-righteous censorship and the word bowdlerize has become part of the English language.