"Understated instead of hyperbolic, [litotes] often seems to turn attention away from itself, like its cousin, paralipsis, which emphasizes something by pretending to ignore it, and it can disarm potential opponents and avoid controversy; yet it emphasizes whatever it touches."
(Elizabeth McCutcheon, "Denying the Contrary: More's Use of Litotes in the Utopia," in Essential Articles for the Study of Thomas More, 1977)

H-Rattler..

I'll quote Elizabeth McCutcheon here..

You remind me of the "New" officer in the company that had all the answers..all the fancy words..was too smart for his own good..and when it came to the fight was the first one to get gobsmacked because he didn't have the common sense to listen to his Senior NCO's ..take some advice from the old pros and survivers of many fire fights and patrols..and stuck his head up out of the trench...

But you are still here..

Portee