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Tmesis

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Tmesis (Greek, "a cutting") is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is inserted into another word, often for humorous effect. The insertion may occur between the parts of a compound word, or between other syllable boundaries (dystmesis).

Examples:

  • "what-place-soever"
  • "I can't find it any-blooming-where" (see also expletive infixation)
  • "how heinous e'er it be" (Shakespeare's tmesis of "however" in Richard II)
  • "any-old-how" (parallel to "any old thing")
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