What is the linguistic term for when someone refruits someone's argument by taking thier point to exageration

Question

For example, on the back of recent calls for the banning of smoking in public places, some people have used the "next they'll be stopping people from drinking, eating bad food, talking to each other..." argument to make the initial idea sound stupid.

So what's it called when you do that?

Answer 1

Ah! I initially thought you were asking about Straw Man (or, since you typed refruits instead of refutes, perhaps Strawberry Man).

;-)

The argument you cite is called Slippery Slope fallacy. If we allow or do this, it will lead to another thing, leading to worse thing, leading to horrible or absurd thing.

Usually what's wrong with it (as in this case) is lack of inevitability, in this case I'd even say lack of connection, in the chain.

My smoking actually hurts other people who have to breathe other people's smoke all day, which simply doesn't apply to people's eating and drinking.

Answer 2

Agreed, it's a slippery slope fallacy.

Answer 3

The correct phrase for this is Latin "reducto ad absurdum" ('reduce to absurdity').