In his discussion of gun control, Evan warned his listeners that we could not adopt the approach used in England because comparing British laws with United States laws was like "comparing apples and oranges." Evan was using a language device for improving clarity known as __________.
A) a malapropism
B) a maxim
C) jargon
D) purposeful ambiguity

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Evan was using a maxim, which is a concise statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct. The phrase "comparing apples and oranges" is a common saying that highlights the difficulty or irrelevance of comparing two items or situations that are fundamentally different, thereby improving clarity by quickly conveying the idea that British and United States gun laws are not directly comparable.

In His Discussion of Gun Control, Evan Warned His Listeners