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The Scarlet Letter. Terminology . Euphemism. a polite word or phrase, which is used to describe a controversial or indiscreet activity a substitute word, which is often more politically correct
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The Scarlet Letter Terminology
Euphemism • a polite word or phrase, which is used to describe a controversial or indiscreet activity • a substitute word, which is often more politically correct • a euphemistic statement can also be funny, humorous, or witty depending on the context of the statment • can also add a level of vagueness to the statement.
Examples of Euphemisms • Pre-owned for used or second-hand • enhanced interrogation for torture • industrial action for strike • misspoke for lie • tactical withdrawal for retreat • revenue augmentation for raising taxes • convenience fee for surcharge • courtesy reminder for bill • unlawful combatant for prisoner of war
Metonymy • A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated
Metonymy • Metonymy is also the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things around it, as in describing someone's clothing to characterize the individual. Adjective: metonymic.
Metaphor or Metonymy • "Metonymy and metaphor also have fundamentally different functions. • Metonymy is about referring: a method of naming or identifying something by mentioning something else which is a component part or symbolically linked. • In contrast, metaphor is about understanding and interpretation: it is a means to understand or explain one phenomenon by describing it in terms of another."(Murray Knowles and Rosamund Moon, Introducing Metaphor. Routledge, 2006)
Examples of Metonymy • “crown” for royalty • “the bottle” for alcoholic drink • “the press” for journalists • “skirt” for women • “Mozart” for Mozart’s music • “the Oval Office” for the US presidency • “Capitol Hill” for the Congress
Metonymy: Using Part an Expression for a Whole (Synecdoche) • Danishfor Danish pastry • shocksfor shock absorbers • walletsfor wallet-sized photos • RidgemontHigh forRidgemont High School • the States for the United States