List of metonyms: Difference between revisions
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| [[Bollywood]] || [[District]] of [[Mumbai]], the primary center of… || the Hindi-language film industry |
| [[Bollywood]] || [[District]] of [[Mumbai]], the primary center of… || the Hindi-language film industry |
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| La Compañía || Spanish word for company or corporation || It refers, in Honduras, to Tela Railroad Company, a subsidiary of [[Chiquita]] |
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Revision as of 18:54, 29 November 2012
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The following is a list of common metonyms. A metonym is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept. For instance, "London", as the capital of the United Kingdom, could be used as a metonym for its government. (See below for more examples.)
General
Word | Original use | Metonymic use |
---|---|---|
aggregation | coming together | result of coming together; those who come together |
arm | human limb | throwing ability |
assembly | coming together | result of coming together; those who come together |
bar | the bar in a courtroom that separates the judges and lawyers from the laypeople | all the lawyers licensed to practice law in a certain court or jurisdiction. |
bench | the location in a courtroom where a judge sits when presiding over court | all the judges of a court or jurisdiction; members of a judiciary; the presiding officer (judge) in a court. |
book | a set of pages (paper) bound together at one side | a work of literature |
calypso | Calypso, music genre originating from Trinidad and Tobago | used errorenously by Westerners as a reference to all Caribbean music genres regardless of nationality |
china | China, the country | Chinese porcelain or other types of ceramic |
city hall | a city's chief administrative building | city government or government in general (Common usage in axiom, "You can't fight city hall.") |
congregation | coming together | result of coming together; those who come together. Usually used in reference to religious affiliations based on denomination. |
court | seeking favor | assembly of those seeking favor; the president of the court ("judge") |
The Crown | A monarch's headwear | The British monarchy. Also, in Commonwealth realms, the Crown is the legal embodiment of governance, and in court the prosecuting party in criminal proceedings |
damages | destructive effects | money paid in compensation |
dish | an item of crockery | a course (in dining) |
DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid | an unalterable, core belief or ideal (e.g., "Building a quality product is in his DNA.") |
jigsaw | cutting tool | jigsaw puzzle |
Manchester | the city in England | textiles manufactured there |
microwave | electromagnetic wave of wavelength 1 mm to 1 m | microwave oven |
militia | military or defense activity | those engaged in or subject to being required to engage in defense activity |
mortal | subject to death | human |
movement | motion, change in position | result of motion or change; those who move or change |
pink slip | a piece of paper, pink in color | a layoff, historically made official in the United States by giving the employee a pink discharge notice |
police | make orderly (lawful) | law enforcers |
press | printing press | the news media |
ring | a wedding ring | the relationship itself (as in "If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it") |
service | doing for others | those who serve (especially military) |
sweat | perspiration | hard work |
toilet | an appliance used for the elimination of waste | the room in which the toilet is contained |
tongue | oral muscle | a language or dialect |
vagina | the female internal reproductive tract | the vulva, or external genitalia |
word | a unit of language | a promise (to give/keep/break one's word); a conversation (to have a word with) |
American
Word | Original use | Metonymic use |
---|---|---|
Washington | capital of the United States | the United States federal government |
The White House | Official residence of the President of the United States | the President and staff |
Capitol Hill | The neighborhood in which the United States Capitol is located | the United States Congress |
The Pentagon | building in Arlington, Virginia that houses… | the United States Department of Defense |
Ellis Island | an island in New York Harbor where the main immigrant inspection station was located | American immigration |
Foggy Bottom | neighborhood in Washington, D.C. that houses… | the United States Department of State |
Grosvenor Square | in the Mayfair district of London, England, is Grosvenor Square on which is located | the Embassy of the United States |
Langley | town in the commonwealth of Virginia | the Central Intelligence Agency, whose headquarters are in this town |
Quantico | town in Virginia that houses the main training center for… | the Federal Bureau of Investigation |
Annapolis | the capital of the state of Maryland | the United States Naval Academy, which is located there |
West Point | a United States Army base in the state of New York | the United States Military Academy, located on this base |
K Street | A street in central Washington, D.C. | The U.S. lobbying industry, many of whose firms have offices on this street |
PDX | IATA airport code for Portland International Airport | The City of Portland, Oregon |
Inside the Beltway | refers to the Capital Beltway, a highway which surrounds Washington, D.C. and its inner suburbs | the U.S. political system |
Broadway | street in New York City | Broadway theatre in particular, and American theatre in general |
Wall Street | street in New York City | the United States financial markets, for which Wall Street is the traditional center of securities trading |
Main Street | a common street name in | the United States, as a rhetorical representation of small businesses |
Madison Avenue | a street in New York City | the United States advertising industry |
Seventh Avenue | a street in New York City | the United States fashion industry |
Cooperstown | a village in upstate New York | the (U.S.) Baseball Hall of Fame, located in this community |
Hollywood | District of Los Angeles, historically the primary center of… | the American film industry |
The Coast[dubious – discuss] | the West Coast of the United States | the Los Angeles-based entertainment industry |
Silicon Valley | geographic region of the San Francisco Bay Area | all the high-tech companies located in the area |
Cupertino | a city in the state of California | Apple Inc., which is headquartered there |
Redmond | a city in the state of Washington | Microsoft, which is headquartered there |
Sand Hill Road | a road in Menlo Park, California | Used to refer to some of the biggest venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, many of whose offices are located along this road. |
Detroit | largest city in the state of Michigan | the United States automobile industry, which is centered in the Detroit area |
Houston | largest city in the state of Texas | NASA Mission Control, from the phrase "Houston, we've had a problem" |
Cape Canaveral | a geographic feature in the state of Florida near the… | NASA Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
Beacon Hill | a neighborhood within Boston | broadly, the Massachusetts state government (I work on Beacon Hill); specifically (esp. in media), the legislature of the Commonwealth. |
Cambridge | a city in the state of Massachusetts | the academic community centered around Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Nashville | the capital of the state of Tennessee | the country music industry, which has strong ties to Nashville |
Smith Hill | a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island | the Rhode Island state government and the Rhode Island General Assembly |
most U.S. state capital cities | the state capital | the state government (known exceptions include Annapolis, Boston and Nashville, as noted elsewhere) |
the people | human beings, or a specific group thereof | some state governments in criminal prosecution matters, e.g., "People (of the State of Michigan) versus X", as opposed to "State (of Ohio) versus Y" |
Pearl Harbor | a lagoon harbor on the island of O?ahu, Hawai?i, west of Honolulu | The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan on December 7, 1941 |
Little Havana | a neighborhood in Miami with a large population of Cuban Americans | The Cuban exile community |
9/11 | a date (September 11) | The terrorist attacks to the USA that occurred on 9/11/2001 |
Australian
Word | Original use | Metonymic use |
---|---|---|
Canberra | capital of Australia | the Australian federal government |
The Lodge | The official residence of the Prime Minister in Canberra | The Australian Prime Minister and his or her staff |
Kirribilli House | The official residence of the Prime Minister in Sydney | The Australian Prime Minister and his or her staff |
Spring Street | A street in the CBD of Melbourne | The Parliament of Victoria (located here), the Government of Victoria and its bureaucracy[1] |
Sussex Street | A street in the CBD of Sydney | The Australian Labor Party, whose New South Wales headquarters are here |
The Waterfront | A part of a town that borders a body of water such as a Wharf | The 1998 Australian waterfront dispute, An industrial relations dispute involving port workers in 4 major Australian cities. |
Canadian
Word | Original use | Metonymic use |
---|---|---|
24 Sussex Drive | Official residence of the Prime Minister | the Canadian Prime Minister and his or her staff |
Rideau Hall | Official residence of the Governor General | the Canadian Governor General and his/her staff |
Bay Street | Street in Toronto | the Canadian financial markets |
Church Street | Street in Toronto | the LGBTQ community |
Ottawa | capital of Canada | the Canadian federal government |
Queen's Park | Park that houses the Ontario Legislative Building | the Government of Ontario |
Waterloo | City in Ontario | Blackberry-maker Research In Motion, which is headquartered there |
British
Word | Original use | Metonymic use |
---|---|---|
England | A country within the United Kingdom | the United Kingdom as a whole |
Great Britain | Largest island in the United Kingdom | the United Kingdom as a whole |
The Palace | Buckingham Palace | The Royal Household |
Big Ben | The bell that resides in... | the famous clock tower in London |
Clarence House | London palace where one finds… | The Household of The Prince of Wales |
Downing Street or "Number 10" | Official residence of the Prime Minister[2] | the British Prime Minister and his or her staff |
Whitehall | A neighborhood of London in which may be found… | the offices of the British government's senior bureaucrats |
The City | The City of London | the British financial markets, historically centred in The City |
Westminster | The City of Westminster in London | The Parliament of the United Kingdom, located in Westminster. |
Harley Street | A street in the City of Westminster, home to a high concentration of dentists, surgeons and physicians | the British private medical industry |
Holyrood | A district in Edinburgh, where you can find… | the Scottish Parliament |
Fleet Street | A street in London which was the original location of much of… | the British newspaper industry |
Savile Row | A shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. | fashionable, usually somewhat formal menswear |
Scotland Yard | Name of the original headquarters of… | the Metropolitan Police |
Stormont | Headquarters of… | the devolved administration in Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Executive or Northern Ireland Assembly. |
Thames House | Headquarters of… | the British Security Services |
Threadneedle Street | Headquarters of… | the Bank of England[3] |
Vauxhall Cross | Headquarters of… | the Secret Intelligence Service (aka MI6) |
P45 | A tax form issued when an employee leaves employment | termination of employment |
UB40 | A former form enabling a person to claim unemployment benefit (now Jobseeker's Allowance) | An unemployed person or a reggae/pop band which appropriated the term when high unemployment was rampant during the late 1970s |
French
Word | Original use | Metonymic use |
---|---|---|
L'Élysée | The Élysée Palace, official residence of… | the French president and his or her staff |
Matignon | The Hôtel Matignon, official residence of… | the French prime minister and his or her staff |
Quai d'Orsay | a street in Paris where ... | the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has its offices |
European
Word | Original use | Metonymic use |
---|---|---|
Berlaymont | The building housing… | the European Commission |
Brussels | the capital city of Belgium, also home to most of the… | Institutions of the European Union |
La Moncloa | The Palace of Moncloa, official residence of the President of the Government of Spain | The executive branch of the Government of Spain |
Necessidades | The Palace of Necessidades, which is the home of the... | Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Portugal |
Holland | A region (two provinces) of the Netherlands | the Netherlands as a whole |
The Hague | Seat of Dutch government, which contains... | the International Criminal Court headquarters and the International Court of Justice at the Peace Palace |
Toompea | A limestone hill in Tallinn, Estonia | The Government and Parliament of Estonia |
Kadriorg | A residential area and a park in Tallinn, Estonia | The President of Estonia |
Lijepa naša | Words meaning 'Our Beautiful' in Croatian, taken from the national anthem 'Lijepa naša domovino', often used as a metonym to denote the country itself. | Croatia. |
Rome, Holy See, or The Vatican | Preeminent see of the Catholic Church | the Papacy or one of the institutions of the Roman Curia |
Strasbourg | Alsatian city, which is the official seat of the… | European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights |
Rest of the world
Word | Original use | Metonymic use |
---|---|---|
The Kremlin | A fortified complex in Moscow | Formerly the Soviet government; used today to a lesser extent for the Russian government |
Kasumigaseki | A district in Chiyoda, Tokyo where most of the Japanese cabinet ministry offices are located | The Japanese bureaucracy |
Nagata-cho | A ward in Tokyo which houses the offices of the Prime Minister of Japan and the National Diet building | The Japanese government and legislature |
Zion | a mountain/fortress in Jerusalem | the city of Jerusalem and more often, the land of Israel in general. NB. This can be taken to its allegorical extreme to refer to Paradise i.e. all God's People being Israel being saved. This is played on in the movie The Matrix. |
The Beehive | A building in Wellington which houses the offices of the Prime Minister of New Zealand and his or her Cabinet | the Government of New Zealand in general |
Gulag | chief administration of the Soviet forced labour camps | the prison camps it administered |
Tiananmen Square | a large city square in the centre of Beijing | the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 |
Malacañang | the Philippine presidential palace in Manila | the President of the Philippines |
The Fener | A district in the heart of old Istanbul | The spiritual leadership of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and world Orthodoxy[4] |
Casa Rosada | Official residence of the President of Argentina | the executive branch of the Argentine government |
Planalto | The Brazilian Highlands, which names the Palácio do Planalto, the official workplace of the President of Brazil | the executive branch of the Brazilian government |
Islamabad | Capital of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan |
Istana | Indonesian and Malay word for palace | the President of Indonesia |
Zhongnanhai | A building complex in Central Beijing | Central headquarters of the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China |
Rashtrapati Bhavan | Presidential palace | The President of India's residence |
Miraflores | Presidential palace | The President of Venezuela's residence |
Cheong wa dae | The Blue House, a complex of building known as pavilion of blue tiles in northern Seoul | The executive branch of South Korea |
Chinatown | named after the neighborhood in San Francisco | Common name for urban areas historically populated by expatriate Chinese people, and also for the culture or politics associated with such areas |
Bollywood | District of Mumbai, the primary center of… | the Hindi-language film industry |
La Compañía | Spanish word for company or corporation | It refers, in Honduras, to Tela Railroad Company, a subsidiary of Chiquita |
Notes and references
- ^ Michael Bachelard Feeling the heat The Age, July 25, 2010
- ^ Technically, 10 Downing Street is the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, not the Prime Minister. However, the two offices have been held by the same person since the early 20th century.
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jun/02/bank-of-england-governor-pay-freeze
- ^ "Fener", without the definite article, is also used in a non-metonymical sense to refer to the Istanbul sports club Fenerbahçe.