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Understatement

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aircraft to fail. Although pressed for time as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude, Captain Eric Moody still managed to make an announcement to the passengers: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to
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had sent an entire division – 10,000 men – to smash the isolated Glosters aside in a major offensive to take the whole Korean peninsula, and the small force was gradually surrounded and overwhelmed. After two days' fighting, an American, Major General
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Understatement may also be called underexaggeration to denote lesser enthusiasm. Understatement also merges the comic with the ironic, as in Mark Twain’s comment, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
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Understatement often leads to litotes, rhetorical constructs in which understatement is used to emphasize a point. It is a staple of humour in English-speaking cultures. For example, in
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is an expression of lesser strength than what the speaker or writer actually means or than what is normally expected. It is the opposite of
1338: 302: 73: 272: 173: – were deployed on the most important crossing on the river to block the traditional invasion route to Seoul. The 133:, an Army officer has just lost his leg. When asked how he feels, he looks down at his bloody stump and responds, "Stings a bit." 1287: 329: 1280: 1068: 1343: 90: 262:
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, rev. 4th ed., Anonymous, 14:12, which notes that the quote is "probably apocryphal"
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get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress."
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This is not to be confused with 14: 23: 981:Party platforms (or manifestos) 201:caused all four engines of the 182:, asked the British brigadier, 144:'s behaviour as exemplified in 1: 1069:Rally 'round the flag effect 251:A Glossary of Literary Terms 1339:Public relations techniques 50:, discuss the issue on the 1360: 226:Meiosis (figure of speech) 161:In April 1951, during the 120: 410:Manipulation (psychology) 231:Minimisation (psychology) 163:Battle of the Imjin River 588:Criticism of advertising 195:British Airways Flight 9 171:Gloucestershire Regiment 1250:Promotional merchandise 961:Character assassination 898:Narcotizing dysfunction 772:Photograph manipulation 485:Guerrilla communication 38:and do not represent a 36:Commonwealth of Nations 1233:Product demonstrations 662:Historical negationism 123:English understatement 1344:Rhetorical techniques 1165:Reputation management 1084:Psychological warfare 933:Political campaigning 742:Firehose of falsehood 295:Air Disaster Volume 2 1200:Corporate propaganda 151:Antony and Cleopatra 56:create a new article 48:improve this article 34:deal primarily with 1288:Media concentration 1160:Non-apology apology 1150:Cult of personality 878:Emotive conjugation 632:Burying of scholars 277:The Daily Telegraph 1271:Influence-for-hire 1064:National mythology 1034:Crowd manipulation 923:Tabloid journalism 792:Video manipulation 737:Fictitious entries 460:Civil disobedience 346:Media manipulation 148:'s performance in 117:Use by the English 1326: 1325: 1092:Airborne leaflets 971:Election promises 825:Product placement 700:Alternative facts 440:Alternative media 197:on 24 June 1982, 84: 83: 76: 58:, as appropriate. 1351: 1318:Media proprietor 1142:Public relations 1122:Public diplomacy 1107:Information (IT) 986:Name recognition 611:Media regulation 593:Annoyance factor 450:Call-out culture 365:Crowd psychology 339: 332: 325: 316: 309: 308: 287: 281: 280: 279:. 20 April 2001. 269: 263: 260: 254: 247: 79: 72: 68: 65: 59: 27: 26: 19: 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888:Infotainment 863:Broadcasting 782:Urban legend 705:April Fools' 578:Testimonials 548:Infomercials 375:Dumbing down 294: 285: 276: 267: 258: 250: 245: 199:volcanic ash 192: 160: 149: 140:critique of 135: 128: 126: 111: 86: 85: 70: 61: 33: 1175:Sound bites 1155:Doublespeak 1006:Wedge issue 966:Dog whistle 941:Advertising 767:Lying press 752:Gaslighting 530:Advertising 505:Occupations 395:Obfuscation 385:Half-truths 64:August 2016 1333:Categories 1276:Media bias 1132:Subversion 1097:False flag 1074:Techniques 1016:Propaganda 976:Lawn signs 956:Canvassing 850:News media 606:Censorship 538:Billboards 490:Hacktivism 480:Grassroots 405:Persuasion 237:References 203:Boeing 747 167:Korean War 1238:Promotion 1117:Political 1024:Bandwagon 951:Attack ad 830:Publicity 802:Marketing 715:Fake news 677:Religious 672:Political 652:Euphemism 647:Cover-ups 642:Corporate 510:Petitions 400:Orwellian 370:Deception 216:Hyperbole 142:Cleopatra 138:Victorian 107:euphemism 52:talk page 1185:Transfer 1127:Sedition 991:Negative 903:Newspeak 893:Managing 835:Research 810:Branding 762:Literary 727:Fakelore 720:websites 710:Deepfake 667:Internet 558:Modeling 515:Protests 495:Internet 428:Advocacy 420:Activism 293:(1994). 210:See also 46:You may 1264:Related 1243:Spaving 1228:Pricing 1170:Slogans 1112:Lawfare 1049:Framing 1029:Big lie 820:Product 815:Loyalty 747:Forgery 692:Hoaxing 573:Slogans 553:Mobiles 445:Boycott 353:Context 221:Litotes 175:Chinese 165:of the 103:litotes 99:hedging 868:Circus 777:Racial 301:  188:sticky 1210:Sales 913:Scrum 873:Cycle 787:Virus 657:Films 622:Books 563:Radio 543:False 520:Youth 500:Media 433:group 390:Media 156:Queen 95:irony 54:, or 1180:Spin 757:List 682:Self 360:Bias 299:ISBN 158:!". 568:Sex 1335:: 583:TV 275:. 97:, 338:e 331:t 324:v 307:. 77:) 71:( 66:) 62:( 44:.

Index

Commonwealth of Nations
worldwide view
improve this article
talk page
create a new article
Learn how and when to remove this message
embellishment
irony
hedging
litotes
euphemism
English understatement
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
Victorian
Cleopatra
Sarah Bernhardt
Antony and Cleopatra
Queen
Battle of the Imjin River
Korean War
Gloucestershire Regiment
Chinese
Robert H Soule
Thomas Brodie
sticky
British Airways Flight 9
volcanic ash
Boeing 747
Hyperbole
Litotes

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