Questions tagged [metonyms]
Questions about metonyms
30
questions
0
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4answers
81 views
General word for “imaginary bad things”?
In some languages there's a categorical word for all things which are evil and imaginary. For example, Strašidlo in Czech describes ghosts, bogeymen, etc.
Is there an equivalent word in English?
2
votes
1answer
104 views
Is saying “The President did…” an example of a metonym?
Is it a metonym to say that the president did something, when in reality it was his administration that did it?
Update:
Every example of one that I've come across uses an inanimate object as a ...
1
vote
2answers
57 views
Word that includes mythology, legends, etc.? [closed]
I am searching for a word or short phrase that includes/describes following words:
myth/mythology
legends
mythos
lore
fable
saga
I know I am not really precise with what I am searching for.
I am not ...
1
vote
3answers
136 views
Equivalent Metonymy of “The Crown” for the Pope and Papacy
I'm writing about the English Reformation-era split allegiance to the king and pope, and I want to write a sentence comparing allegiance to "The Crown" to the equivalent metonym for the papacy. I ...
3
votes
2answers
308 views
Is a country's name a metonym - and when? E.g.: “The White House” / “Washington” / …“The U.S.?”
I'm interested in figurative language and metonymy in particular. Sometimes it seems hard to tell if a term qualifies as a metonym or would be considered linguistically "literal." One case is when ...
1
vote
1answer
513 views
Is “sun seems to have set” (on an idea) a metaphor/simile or synechdoche/metonymy
Is the follow quote a 1) metaphor or simile or an examples 2) synechdoche or metonymy
"Sun seems to have set" (on an idea)
Metonymy is
"a figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing ...
4
votes
2answers
172 views
Using a person's name to stand for their body of work
I am choosing between two sentences
"We now define a function which in essence is already in Dirichlet's work."
"We now define a function which in essence is already in Dirichlet."
The principle of ...
1
vote
2answers
69 views
“Robber's hand” as a metonym for robber
Is there a way to talk about a robber like this?
In Swedish there is a metonym for robber: "rånarhand", lit "robbers's hand".
And you could use it as: "not safe from robber's hand"
Is there a ...
0
votes
1answer
387 views
In UK politics, is there a metonym for the National Assembly for Wales (like Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont)?
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a national parliament with an internationally used metonym Westminster after the City of Westminster, London, where the parliament is ...
0
votes
1answer
279 views
Is this a metonymy or synecdoche?
In Katy Perry's song "Firework", there's a line that goes like this:
After a hurricane, comes a rainbow.
I know that "hurricane" and "rainbow" are not metaphors, nor are they symbols. I was ...
0
votes
2answers
833 views
Can 'the magazine' be used with plural agreement to refer to the editor and staff collectively?
If I am referring to a magazine as an entity comprising its editor and staff, is it correct to say, 'The magazine are keen for submissions' or 'The magazine is keen for submissions'?
(I'm correcting ...
32
votes
9answers
15k views
“A cup of hot coffee” or “A hot cup of coffee”
I once had an argument with someone about this.
Is the meaning of "A cup of hot coffee" the same as "A hot cup of coffee"?
Surprisingly I've often heard people utter either of the two, but not ...
1
vote
2answers
553 views
‘Longears’, ‘Tapperbill’, and ‘Painted-wings’
I was reading The Intruder by James Reeves. I couldn't understand the meaning of the following lines
Longears helter-skelter shoots
Into his house among the roots.
At work upon the highest ...
2
votes
1answer
684 views
“Baby blues” - metonymy or synechdoche?
I understand the basic difference between metonymy and synecdoche (thanks in part to this question) but got stumped on "baby blues" as another way of saying eyes. Am I right that it is synecdoche as ...
3
votes
4answers
4k views
Someone or something that blocks a view
Is there a single word or metonym for someone or something that "blocks a view"?
I'm looking for a word that, unlike "obstacle" or "obstruction", conveys the "view" part.
3
votes
1answer
144 views
Metonym Confusion Redux
It seems that I am once again confused about the finer points of metonyms. The example I give my students is the phrase Today, Ottawa announced..., where Ottawa is a metonym for the Canadian ...
1
vote
1answer
611 views
Lexicology, Semasiology
Is metonymy considered to be linguistic or extralinguistic factor of semantic change? For example crown for a monarchy
0
votes
1answer
170 views
Why is it “From Dublin to Los Angeles” in the Western world, that has left the church moribund in 20 century culture wars?
In connection with my previous question about the meaning of “the Church’s existential problem”, there was the following sentence in the same article of Time Magazine (December 11, 2013) — “Pope ...
3
votes
3answers
5k views
What is the opposite of synecdoche?
If synecdoche represents when a part of a thing or person refers to the whole, what is it called when the whole is used to refer to a part?
For example, we often hear about what "The American People ...
1
vote
1answer
796 views
Is “to have a perfect ear for music” a metaphor or a metonymy?
This phrase seems to be a metaphor to me, however I guess you could say "ear" might be referring to a concept of being able to make music well. Would you say it's a metaphor or metonymy?
-2
votes
1answer
624 views
What is 'decreased activity' an example of?
People use decreased activity (for example) where decrease in activity would be more literally correct. For example, reasons for my decreased activity usually refers to reasons for a decrease, not to ...
10
votes
4answers
1k views
What does “purchasers of a new tablet won’t ‘end up with a doorstop’” mean?
Washington Post (June 17) reports Barnes & Noble’s offer of tablet software update at
a surprisingly cheap price under the title, “It’s official: Nook Tablets are now ridiculously cheap."
It says:...
3
votes
10answers
34k views
What's the shortest word that can stand for “to leave a legacy”?
The idea is to represent the concept that while an individual's life is finite and accumulated knowledge or wisdom will disappear after death, the result of one's actions can make a difference for ...
3
votes
2answers
600 views
Has “Fat Belt” been established as a metonymy for the Midwest? Doesn’t it sound derogatory to the Midwesterners?
I found the word, “Fat Belt” in the headline of the article in Time magazine (October 11 issues), titled “Salad restaurant chains sprouting up even in the ‘Fat Belt.’” The article reads:
“Salad ...
16
votes
4answers
7k views
Collective nouns and subject-verb agreement: general rule or arbitrary?
A newspaper ran this headline recently:
(1) Police crack down on IAC protesters. [emph added]
Why did it not read:
(2) ? Police cracks down on IAC protesters.
I have found instances of "police ...
45
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there a term for referring to an organization by its city rather than by its name?
This happens specifically often in the technology press:
There's no point trying to ascribe motives to what Redmond [instead of "Microsoft"] does.
We'll see shortly if Cupertino [instead of "...
24
votes
3answers
101k views
What is the difference between metonymy and synecdoche?
What is the difference between metonymy and synecdoche?
-1
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2answers
194 views
Metonyms in American football: the National Football League [closed]
Wikipedia has a great definition of metonymy here, but I have a more specific question. The biggest user of NFL metonyms appears to be Gregg Easterbrook, writer of the Tuesday Morning Quarterback at ...
1
vote
2answers
995 views
Metonymy in Professional European Football (Soccer) [closed]
Wikipedia has a great definition of metonymy here, but I have a more specific question. Can I have a list of metnonyms used in Professional European Football (Soccer), particularly the English ...
3
votes
6answers
3k views
Is “facebook” as a verb different from “google” or “photoshop”?
I understand that any term, grammatical or not, becomes valid if there is common usage. I'm not concerned about that.
Google and Photoshop are both commonly used as verbs. Given that the terms map ...
