He's a poet, but doesn't know it

From some otherwise forgotten lecture or article on broadcast news I learned that one should avoid accidental rhyming in presentations for the ear. Why? It can cause the listener to lock onto the rhyme and miss much of what comes after.

The principle came to mind early this morning when I awoke to an NPR report on how the EPA was studying BPA. It seems BPA is another chemical that's showing up in drinking water, but I couldn't tell you much more. My mind was stuck on the cadence of EPA and BPA. (Hmmm, it's tax time - could we work in CPA?)

However, rhyming comes in handy when you want your audience to lock onto a phrase.

The most famous (infamous?) example of this may have occurred during the OJ Simpson trial when defense attorney Johnny Cochran wrapped his closing argument in this mantra:

If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit.

The rhyme may have saved Simpson from a murder conviction.

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A more timely example might apply to the current debate over a certain piece of legislation the President just signed into law, a debate one might sum up with a question:

What's more important, healthcare - or wealthcare?