Diction Lesson 3 “Troublesome” Terms

Synecdoche (sih-NECK-duh-kee) figure of speech in which a part stands for the whole “body.” “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” (Winston Churchill, 1940) “In Europe, we gave the cold shoulder to De Gaulle, and now he gives the warm hand to Mao Tse-tung.” (Richard Nixon, 1960) The ship was lost with all hands. His parents bought him a new set of wheels. He has many mouths to feed. *All of these examples represent literal parts of a whole “body,” whether human or machine.

Effect Add variation, elegance, and present the language “luxuriously.” Often used to characterize and control imagery Note: synecdoche can be understood to be a form of metonymy, but the converse is not true. *On the AP test, these terms will almost always be interchangeable. I’ve never seen BOTH offered as answer choices within the same question. For our UNIT TEST, you want to know the difference. The difference between metonymy and synecdoche is that in metonymy, the term you are using is linked to or associated with the thing that you mean, but is not directly a part of it.

Metonymy (me-TON-y-my) substitution of some attributive or suggestive word for what is actually meant. This is a symbol, NOT a literal part of what is meant. The British crown has been plagued by scandal. *Crown symbolizes monarchy. The pen is mightier than the sword. *A pen symbolizes written words. A sword symbolizes or is associated with war. 'He is a man of cloth’ *Priests WEAR “robes.” The suits were at meeting. *Business professionals WEAR suits.

Effect Note: Metonymy develops relation on the grounds of close associations- as in “The White House is concerned about terrorism.” The White House here represents the people who work in it. Used in developing literary symbolism Helps achieve conciseness Add a poetic color to words

Litotes (LI-tuh-tees OR lie-TOE-tees) deliberate use of understatement “Last week I saw a woman flayed, and you will hardly believe how much it altered her appearance for the worse.” (Jonathan Swift, A Tale of a Tub) “It isn’t very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain.” (Catcher in the Rye) “For four generations we’ve been making medicines as if people’s lives depended on them.” (Ad for Eli Lilly Drug Company)

Effect Depending on the tone and context of the usage, litotes either retain the effect of understatement, or become an intensifying expression Often create irony Often used within satire

Conceit A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. Usually used in poetry. Effect: A conceit displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?/Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” "All the world's a stage, The men and women merely players; They have their exits and entrances." - "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare

Colloquialism The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects. I lay down last night . . . tried to take my rest, My mind got to ramblin', like a wild geese in the west. --Skip James, "Devil Got My Woman," 1931 Almost always seen in satire, memoirs, autobiographies

Euphemism From the Greek for “good speech.” More agreeable or less offensive substitutes for generally unpleasant words or concepts. Effect: Used to adhere to standards of social or political correctness or to add humor or ironic understatement. Saying “earthly remains” rather than “corpse” “Passed away” “Between jobs” for unemployed