Hypo-bole

From Merriam-Webster:
Hyperbole is extravagant exaggeration (as “mile-high ice-cream cones”)

Hyperbole is very a good tool to use when trying to get your point across or when you want to be funny. That is, if you are me. Or my sisters. While dating, my suitor (Chancho) was often quite amazed at my expressions. If I was early to something, I would say, "It was amazing. I was like 4,000 hours early, and that never happens." See, I had to express how surreal it felt to be early to something that I had to use "extravagant exaggeration". Still not clear on hyperbole?
"My head looks the size of large airport in that picture."
"Well, of course we can't ever hang out--you have 9,000 children."

Since I frequent the use of hyperbole, sometimes I confuse myself and use, what I deem "hypo-bole".
From Perla's Dictionary (which always is available for browsing in the haunted parlor), Hypobole is accidental under-exaggeration which results in diminished effect and confusion. For example, we were in St. George and there was a raised walk-way we had to go over to get to our condo. It sounded really loud and thunderous, no matter how gently I tried to walk over it. I didn't like it because, as I accidentally said, "It makes me sound like I weigh 100 pounds!" (And I haven't weighed that little since I was an infant)

For better (or not) String Cheese has adopted the use of hyperbole. The other day, though, she started to move into the hypobole realm. At least I think that is what it was. In the way only children 3-6 years of age can do, String Cheese and friends can entertain themselves for hours by saying outrageously silly and exaggerated things. I will say, "I need to get my phone." and she will say, "I need to get...my refrigerator!" Then she'll wait...and her little siblings will give her the appropriate amount of guffawing, then they will start trying some of their own, "I need to go get my...counter top!" haha. "I need to go get the...trampoline!" haha.

This kind of silliness started in the car while String Cheese was with my friend, Pooka, and her boys. SC and JaJa were doing some kind of "what-if", crazy, silly-kid nonsense. They were laughing hysterically when SC came up with another good one. It went like this:
SC: What if...a baby was BORN...and then it DIED...(wait for the laugh)
JaJa: (not laughing) well, that can be real.
SC: No, but, like, what if a baby was born and then the baby died? (giving a laugh herself to remind him that he was now supposed to fall into hysterics)
JaJa: Yeah, but babies really do get borned and die sometimes so that's not funny.

So, unlike the extravagant exaggerations that had gained her so many laughs previously, my daughter had followed in my foot steps and accidentally stepped into the realm of hypobole: accidental under-exaggeration which results in diminished effect and confusion. And maybe even a little sadness from sensitive, handsome little Ja-Ja.