Synecdoche

Word of the week (from the latest Kaufman movie), Synecdoche. Used in various ways, one aspect is ”’hands’ to refer to workers, ‘head’ for cattle, ‘threads’ for clothing, ‘wheels’ for car, ‘mouths to feed’ for hungry people, ‘white hair’ for the elderly, ‘The Press’ for news media”.

4 Comments

edemay September 14, 2006

Why does the plot not surprise me? “A playwright (Hoffman) struggles with his work and the women in his life.”

Patrick September 14, 2006

Even with that it’s supposedly a hell of a good one.

“I’ve read it — no, lived it. I’ve been moved and astounded by it. And I’m tortured by the dilemma of what I should or should not say about it here. I feel a bit like Frodo palming the One Ring.”

Alexandre September 18, 2006

The thing with Kaufman’s work is that he knows to play with our expectations about the plot. His is often a tongue-in-cheek commentary on tired plotlines.
At least, in the way I’ve experienced it.

As for synecdoche, it’s a very useful trope to use in different types of writing. My favourite trope is zeugma, because the effect is stronger. But synecdoche is very typical of journalistic language.
Good examples, BTW!

Patrick September 18, 2006

Thx but they’re just copied from the Wikipedia entry ;)

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