Onomatopoeia

onomatopoeia (n.): formation of words in imitation of natural sounds; the use of words whose sound suggests the sense

other examples: clop, hiss, buzz, click, tick

Euphemism!

(noun)
1.
the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.

“To pass away” is a euphemism for “to die.”
"Birthmark" or "Beautymark" is a euphemism for "mole."

Paradox

Definition: A tenet contrary to received opinion.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox

1. Criminals are smarter than law abiding citizens.
-People assume that criminals are unintelligent and break the law as a last resort. The reality is criminals do not limit themselves by the confines of the law and have more chances to excel. They have figured out how to beat the system and exploit its weaknesses for their own advantage.

2. The less you speak the more others listen.
-It would seem that people would pay more attention to someone who talks a lot but in reality less is more. If a quiet person expresses an idea they have obviously thought it out and think that it is worthwhile enough to explain. Just like anything else the less there is of something the more value it has.

Pun

Definition:

A play on words or the humorous use of a word emphasizing a different meaning or application; often referred to as the "lowest form of humor."

Examples:

1) A dog gave birth to puppies on the side of the road and was cited for littering.

2) I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.

3) A horse is a very stable animal.

Oxymoron

Oxymoron (n): A figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in "cruel kindness" or "to make haste slowly."

Examples of an Oxymoron:
The wise old man was a big fool.
The Hell's Angels appeared at my door.
The hot tea was very cold.

Analogy

Definition: a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based.

Examples:
1. Up is to down as in is to out
2. Happiness is to sadness
3. Clothing to dresser
4. Apples to pie

Ellipsis – An ellipsis is a powerful writing tool that enables words to be omitted in a quote in order to make the sentence concise.

Ex:
1. The elderly man, whose background consisted of a long life living in the South, could not adjust well to Northern life.  The elderly man […] could not adjust well to Northern life.
2. He looked out towards the sun wondering about life and feeling the lies of a dream. 
He looked out towards the sun […] feeling the lies of a dream.
3. An ellipsis […] enables words to be omitted in a quote […]. (I wonder where this is from ;3)

Parenthesis

Parenthesis (n.) is a qualifying, explanatory, or appositive word, phrase, clause, or sentence that interrupts a syntactic construction without otherwise affecting it, having often a characteristic intonation and indicated in writing by commas, parentheses, or dashes. Example: William Smith—you must know him—is coming tonight.

Synecdoche

A synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a small aspect of an object or person is used to represent that person. Synecdoche could also be using a larger object to refer to a specific aspect of it. For example, when someone calls "All hands on deck!" he is referring to all of the people who work to come up on deck, not just their hands.

Another example would be saying that "We took the wheels for a spin." The wheels on a car are not the only things that are moving, but are an aspect of the larger object (the car) that is going for a ride.

parallelism

Parallelism: similar syntactical structure

She ran quickly and happily out of the store.

The table shook and the lights flickered as the earthquake hit.