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Showing posts from August, 2016

Synecdoche

A common but often unnoticed figure of speech is the synecdoche. When I say “Beijing opened its borders”. We know I mean “The People's Republic of China has opened its borders.”) That’s a Synecdoche, in this case I named part of something (Beijing) to mean the whole (P.R.C.). Conversely, I might say “Westminster is in turmoil” when anyone with knowledge of British politics will know I mean, “The politicians in the Houses of Parliament are in turmoil”. The reader will know I am not referring to The City of Westminster, a region of London. (Or the place in Canada etc.) Synecdoche can be a useful and illustrating tool of conversation. Helping to convey the size or importance of the subject or illustrate in more detail a subtlety of the situation. For example: “Beijing opened its Borders” also indicates the power of that country's central government. Some residents of one city in China, can open [or close] the borders of a vast country spanning thousands of miles and compr