If you’ve been acquainted with me for while you’ll probably have gathered that I’m a fan of Winston Churchill. He was the British politician who had a huge impact on his country and empire in the first half of the last century, particularly as Prime Minister during the dark days of the Second World War.

You might think that’s because I was born on his birthday and named after him but that’s not the real reason. It’s because I love his speaking and writing skills (and I do a bit of them myself!).

Whatever your business, it’ll do you a power of good if you copy some of his methods to make how you say and write things more interestingly for the listener or the reader. And, if it’s not interesting, you lose them.

One device Churchill used with great success to spice up what he said or wrote was “chiasmus” which is a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases.

Here are a few examples how an otherwise fairly bland statement comes alive and is memorable using this sneaky little trick.

“All I can say is that I have taken more out of alcohol… than alcohol has taken out of me.”

“An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.”

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

“He has to conceal what he would most wish to make public, and make public what he would most wish to conceal.”

When you’re next putting some words together look for the opportunity to use chiasmus… it’ll add spice to what you’ve got to say!