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The Magic Art of Saying More with Less

 1 year ago
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The Magic Art of Saying More with Less

Metonymy and Synecdoche — A linguistic close-up

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Photo by Tolga Ulkan on Unsplash

The unforgettable opening sequence of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West spans ten minutes and captivates viewers with barely a word spoken.

We are taken to a remote train station where three leather faces wait. Every detail is meticulously portrayed, from cracked knuckles to an irritating fly, a squeaky windmill, and jangling spurs.

Leone uses the power of close-ups to build an air of drama and tension.

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In the scorching heat, the gunslingers' apparent nonchalance is broken by the arrival of a noisy and smoky train. Our mind asks questions. We are hooked.

It’s ground-breaking cinema. Leone was the master of close-ups. By zooming in, the shot is concentrated.We get a snippet, which allows our imagination to fill the whole.

Creative writers use similar techniques in their writing — metonymy and synecdoche.

Imagine your friend tells you he is having trouble with his downstairs neighbour. Pause. Take that in. Does he live in an upstairs flat, or is he using dull-witted symbolism for his wee man?

Metonymy and synecdoche use symbolism, but it isn’t so dull-witted.

Metonymy

Metonymy is a figure of speech where we use a word to refer to something related to that thing, such as wheels to refer to a car. Wheels represent the entire car.

In the same way, the oval office can mean the President of the USA or their administration.

Metonymy is a concept. It comes from the Greek word metōnymía, which translates to change of name. Thus, metonymy substitutes a word or phrase for another word or phrase.

Thus, journalists are collectively known as the Press after the name of the device used for printing newspapers.

The press are adept at using metonymy —

Silicon Valley (the American technology industry) made a movie about Wall Street (the New York Stock Exchange)…


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