atw: Re: On the tip of my tongue.. got it! [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

My reaction to Garry's post was very similar to Bede's, except that I
don't believe there is a word with exactly this meaning, so this could
be as close as you're going to get. Even Miriam's suggestion of
'commonisation' looks to me like a word appropriated from another
context.
 
My suggestion for an approximate match was going to be 'synecdoche',
which is the name of a part of something used to stand for the whole -
the standard example is '50 head of cattle', but I guess '50 bums on
seats' would do as well. But that's obviously only just in the ballpark
and 'antonomasia' is probably better.
 
Howard
 
PS I have been conscientiously sending my posts in plain-text format
because I thought that was a requirement of the list. But I prefer to be
able to use some formatting, and some of you will see that Bede has used
formatting effectively below. (I realise that the digest and the website
versions are converted to plain text anyway, so some of you won't see
the difference.) Was I imagining that requirement - and if not does it
still apply? Do these formatted posts cause problems for some people?

        -----Original Message-----
        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of SUNTER Bede
        Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2006 17:57
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Re: On the tip of my tongue.. got it!
        
        
        >>antonomasia! 
        Hate to dampen your enthusiasm Garry but are you sure about
that? What dictionary did you find it in?
         
        Big Macq defines antonomasia thus:
        noun 1. the identification of a person by an epithet or
appellative rather than their name, as his lordship.
        2. the use of a personal name to denote a class of similar
persons, as a Shylock. 
        [Latin, from Greek, from antonomazein 'call instead'
         
        Merriam Webster is similar
        ... use of an epithet for a proper name, from Greek, from
antonomazein to call by a new name, from anti- + onomazein to name, from
onoma name
        : the use of a proper name to designate a member of a class (as
a Solomon for a wise ruler); also : the use of an epithet or title in
place of a proper name (as the Bard for Shakespeare)
         
        I admit that it's not so big a conceptual leap to extend the
meaning to generecised brand names. But when I read your question, the
word was on the tip of my tongue too. I'm sure there's another ...
         
        Bede
        
         
________________________________

        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Gary Stevens
        Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2006 11:51 AM
        To: Austechwriter
        Subject: atw: On the tip of my tongue.. got it!
        
        

        Ah, I've just been told (and I've verified) that it's... 
        
        antonomasia! 
        
        Well, there you go. 
        
        Garry 
Please consider our environment before printing this email.

WARNING - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If
received in error, please delete and inform us by return email. Because
emails and attachments may be interfered with, may contain computer
viruses or other defects and may not be successfully replicated on other
systems, you must be cautious. Westpac cannot guarantee that what you
receive is what we sent. If you have any doubts about the authenticity
of an email by Westpac, please contact us immediately.

It is also important to check for viruses and defects before opening or
using attachments. Westpac's liability is limited to resupplying any
affected attachments.

        
This email and its attachments are not intended to constitute any form
of financial advice or recommendation of, or an offer to buy or offer to
sell, any security or other financial product. We recommend that you
seek your own independent legal or financial advice before proceeding
with any investment decision.

Westpac Institutional Bank is a division of Westpac Banking Corporation,
a company registered in New South Wales in Australia under the
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Westpac is authorised and regulated in the
United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority and is registered at
Cardiff in the United Kingdom as Branch No. BR 106. Westpac operates in
the United States of America as a federally chartered branch, regulated
by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141.
        
        IMPORTANT NOTICE: This e-mail and any attachment to it are
intended only to be read or used by the named addressee. It is
confidential and may contain legally privileged information. No
confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistaken
transmission to you. The RTA is not responsible for any unauthorised
alterations to this e-mail or attachment to it. Views expressed in this
message are those of the individual sender, and are not necessarily the
views of the RTA. If you receive this e-mail in error, please
immediately delete it from your system and notify the sender. You must
not disclose, copy or use any part of this e-mail if you are not the
intended recipient.

Other related posts: