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syndoche

Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 7:08 pm
by KatyBr
synecdoche: substitution of a part for the whole.



I couldn't find out much about this , maybe the guys here have some good examples I can learn from?

Kt

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:51 am
by tcward
Perhaps "The Crown" is a good example.

I think another way people do this is by including a description of the person in a type of irreverently formal title of address.

Mr. Twirly-mustache is always such a buzz-kill.

Reebox Jr. better start paying as much attention in world history class as he does on the basketball court!

...etc.

-Tim

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 2:47 am
by KatyBr
Perhaps "The Crown" is a good example.

I think another way people do this is by including a description of the person in a type of irreverently formal title of address.

Mr. Twirly-mustache is always such a buzz-kill.

Reebox Jr. better start paying as much attention in world history class as he does on the basketball court!

...etc.

-Tim
Then how is "the pen is mightier than the sword" also an example of syndoche?

Kt

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 5:50 am
by Spiff
Because the pen refers to the writer who is holding the pen and the sword to the warrior holding the sword. Obviously, a pen is not stronger than a sword in any litteral sense.

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:35 pm
by KatyBr
Ok. I think I'm getting it, any more examples? A writer's site says to use this usage sparingly, so I need to know exactly what it is so I can be discreet (read: go hogwild!)

Kt

Re: syndoche

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 2:41 pm
by Stargzer
synecdoche: substitution of a part for the whole.
. . .
Kt
Hmmm . . . the definition seems to be more comprehensive--several related types of substitutions:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

synecdoche

SYLLABICATION: syn·ec·do·che

PRONUNCIATION: sĭ-nĕk'də-k

NOUN: A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword).

ETYMOLOGY: Middle English synodoches, from Medieval Latin synodoche, alteration of Latin synecdochē, from Greek sunekdokhē, from sunekdekhesthai, to take on a share of : sun-, syn- + ekdekhesthai, to understand ( ek-, out of; see eghs in Appendix I + dekhesthai, to take; see dek- in Appendix I).

OTHER FORMS: syn'ec·doch'ic (sĭn'ek-dŏk'ĭk) , syn'ec·doch'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) —ADJECTIVE


The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Attention all hands! If you find any cutthroats or theives, do not let them feel your steel, but call for the law.
Sorry, just couldn't resist that! :)

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:48 pm
by uncronopio
Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11.

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:06 pm
by gailr
Ok. I think I'm getting it, any more examples? ...
Kt
Where are all the suits? In another conclave, I presume.
-gailr

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:42 am
by KatyBr
it's cool, Sitran gave me the difinitive answer, neaner neaner......

Kt
sometimes ya just need to get out a good neaner, neaner.