Understanding Antonomasia

Understanding Antonomasia Antonomasia is a rhetorical term for the substitution of a title, epithet, or descriptive phrase for a proper name (or of a personal name for a common name) to designate a member of a group or class. It is a type of synecdoche. Roger Hornberry characterizes the figure as basically a nickname with knobs on (Sounds Good on Paper, 2010). Etymology From the Greek, instead of plus name (to name differently). Examples and Observations The character of James Sawyer Ford in the ABC television program Lost (2004-1010) regularly used antonomasia to annoy his companions. His nicknames for Hurley included Lardo, Kong, Pork Pie, Stay Puft, Rerun, Barbar, Pillsbury, Muttonchops, Mongo, Jabba, Deep Dish, Hoss, Jethro, Jumbotron, and International House of Pancakes.Calling a lover Casanova, an office worker Dilbert, Elvis Presley the King, Bill Clinton the Comeback Kid, or Horace Rumpoles wife She Who Must Be ObeyedWhen I eventually met Mr. Right I had no idea that his first name was Always.(Rita Rudner)If the waiter has a mortal enemy, it is the Primper. I hate the Primper. HATE THE PRIMPER! If theres a horrifying sound a waiter never wants to hear, its the THUMP of a purse on the counter. Then the digging sound of the Primpers claws trying to find makeup, hairbrushes, and perfume.(Laurie Notaro, The Idiot Girls Action-Adventure Club, 2002)Jerry: The guy who runs the place is a little temperamental, especially about the or dering procedure. Hes secretly referred to as the Soup Nazi.Elaine: Why? What happens if you dont order right?Jerry: He yells and you dont get your soup.(The Soup Nazi, Seinfeld, November 1995) I told you we could count on Mr. Old-Time Rock and Roll!(Murray referring to Arthur in Velvet Goldmine)Im a myth. Im Beowulf. Im Grendel.(Karl Rove) Metonymy This trope is of the same nature as metonymy, although it can not be said to exhibit the idea more vividly. It consists in putting in place of a proper name, another notion which may be either in apposition to it or predicated of it. Its principal use is to avoid the repetition of the same name, and the too frequent use of the pronoun. The most frequent forms of it are, naming a person from his parentage or country; as, Achilles is called Pelides; Napoleon Bonaparte, the Corsican: or naming him from some of his deeds; as, instead of Scipio, the destroyer of Carthage; instead of Wellington, the hero of Waterloo. In making use of this trope such designations should be selected as are well known, or can be easily understood from the connection, and free from ambiguitythat is, are not equally applicable to other well-known persons.(Andrew D. Hepburn, Manual of English Rhetoric, 1875)