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Types of Chiasmus: Numerical Chiasmus

All examples of chiasmus share the same distinctive structure-a reversal in word order that can be "marked with an X" (as described in Welcome to the World of Chiasmus.) However, there are a number of interesting variations on the chiastic theme. We'll examine all of them here at "Types of Chiasmus." In this edition, we take a look at Numerical Chiasmus.

In the Chiasmus by Letter Reversal edition, we looked at how chiasmus could be achieved by reversing the individual letters of words; in this edition, we look at what happens when numbers are reversed. A perfect example is an anonymous observation, which goes back many years:

Notice how the reversal of numbers can be "marked with an X," in the classical chiastic manner. I won't do it with any more quotes in this section, but all of them could be similarly marked.

A provocative example of chiasmus by number reversal comes from the world of law, where more than a century ago, U.S. Attorney General Benjamin H. Brewster captured an intriguing truth about legal advice:

Examples of numerical chiasmus often have this clever, light-hearted quality. Consider this gem crafted by the wife of Walter Cronkite a few years ago:

In addition to loving the observation, I had a couple of other reactions when I came upon the quote. First, as somebody who grew up watching Walter deliver the evening news, I never quite thought of Walter that way before. And I also thought, "Now that's a secure wife with a good sense of humor."

Speaking of husbands and wives, the following observation from William Binger captures one of the essential differences between my wife and me:

I don't know how widely this generalization applies, but it certainly describes my marriage. I'm always paying more for an item because I really want it and Katherine is always buying something she doesn't need because it's such a bargain.

Numerical chiasmus shows up in many different arenas. A fantastic example from the sports world came when pitcher Frank Tanana came to the end of his baseball career. At age 39, Tanana reflected on the change in his pitching velocity over the years, cleverly observing:

Here's another one from the world of sport, crafted a few years ago by Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe:

If you're a sports fan, you know exactly what Ryan means in this assessment of Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso, the two guards on the 1996 University of Massachusetts basketball team. For those who require a translation, I'll let Ryan explain it himself: "Padilla is a point guard, or floor leader, who can also shoot and take it to the hole. Travieso is a hired gun type of shooter who is not struck dumb when the coach asks him to bring the ball up."

Moving from the sports world to the literary world, it is well-known that all writers look for interesting ways to begin their novels. Well, they don't get much better than this line from the very first paragraph of Dylan Thomas's 1945 book, A Child's Christmas in Wales.

Thomas's opening line beautifully captures the confusion adults often experience when they try to recall things from the past. Another wonderful literary example comes from a charming story told about Peter Pan author J. M. Barrie. Like a lot of people in his profession, the Scottish writer was uncomfortable speaking in front of large groups of people. After a speaking engagement before a thousand coeds at Smith College, a friend asked Barrie how it went. He replied:

Numerical chiasmus even shows up in proverbial wisdom. Take this proverb, which has been popular in France and Germany, and elsewhere around the world, for more than four hundred years:

Like much proverbial wisdom, the saying captures some of the difficulties of life, especially the pain and heartache older people experience when they feel ignored or neglected by the children they gave to and sacrificed for during the growing-up years. Shakespeare was thinking along the same lines when he wrote in King Lear: "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is/To have a thankless child."

If you're aware of any examples of numerical chiasmus, or come across any in the future, please send them along. I don't have all that many examples right now, and would dearly love to expand my collection.