Metonymy

Metonymy denotes a word/phrase that is used as a substitute for another word, with which it is closely associated.

Crown –a person of royal blood.

Dish –plate of food.

Pen – written word.

Hollywood –US movie industry.  

Litotes

Litotes denotes a figure of speech that consists of an understatement in which the affirmative is expressed by negating its contrary.

You will not regret getting involved in this business.

He is not a bad actor.  

Quantifiers

Quantifier is a word/phrase that provides information about the quantity/amount of something.

Ex: much, a bit, a large amount of, a great deal of, few, some, all, enough, lots of, several, plenty, not much, etc.

Epizeuxis

Epizeuxis (also known as Palilogia) refers to the repetition of a word or phrase (usually with no words in between) to emphasize something.

Those two businessmen always have just one thing on their minds: money, money, money!

Study, study, study! I am fed up of this word. Everyone says the same thing.

Idiom

Idiom refers to a word, phrase or an expression whose collective meaning differs from their individual (words) meaning.

Flash in the pan

Meaning: Short-lived success; promises much, but fails to deliver.

Ex.: Tom got an A+ grade, which was not just a flash in the pan.

Finding your feet

Meaning: Becoming familiar with a new situation, gaining confidence in a new scenario.

Ex.: Paul is yet to find his feet in the entertainment industry.

Idiom

Idiom refers to a word, phrase or an expression whose collective meaning differs from their individual (words) meaning.

Give it a shot

Meaning: To make an attempt, try.

Ex.: If you really want to set up your own business, give it a shot.

A dead end

Meaning: End of something, point beyond which no progress is possible.

Ex.: The cops got many leads, but they all led to a dead end.

Idiom

Idiom refers to a word, phrase or an expression whose collective meaning differs from their individual (words) meaning.

Drag one’s feet

Meaning: Make unnecessary delay in doing or completing something.

Ex.: The CEO was dragging his feet on the workers’ bonus issue.

Pull someone’s leg

Meaning: To tease, make a fool, or trick someone.

Ex.: Do you really want to help me or are you just pulling my leg?

Idiom

Idiom refers to a word, phrase or an expression whose collective meaning differs from their individual (words) meaning.

No stone unturned

Meaning: Make every possible effort, try all options.

Ex.: The cops left no stone unturned to catch hold of the crooks.

By hook or by crook

Meaning: By any means, using any way: right or wrong.

Ex.: Harry wanted that contract by hook or by crook.

Idiom

Idiom refers to a word, phrase or an expression whose collective meaning differs from their individual (words) meaning.

Turn over a new leaf

Meaning: To change for the better, try to improve, give up bad habits, etc.

Ex.: After his bullish behavior landed him in serious trouble with the cops, Tom turned over a new leaf.

Wild goose chase

Meaning: fruitless search or pursuit, unsuccessful search, etc.

Ex.: The robbers made the cops to go on a wild goose chase.

Idiom

Idiom refers to a word, phrase or an expression whose collective meaning differs from their individual (words) meaning.

Once in a blue moon

Meaning: Something that occurs very rarely.

Ex.: Since my friend went abroad, we talk only once in a blue moon.

Add fuel to the fire

Meaning: To make a situation much worse than what it originally was.

Ex.: The Principal’s indifferent attitude towards the students’ grievances added fuel to the fire.

Chiasmus

Chiasmus refers to a figure of speech in which words/phrases are sequenced in the reverse order, i.e., it denotes inverted parallelism.

         ·          Winners never quit; quitters never win.

         ·         “Men do not quit playing because they grow old;
           they grow old because they quit playing.” (Oliver Wendell Holmes)

         ·         Control your anger before your anger controls you.

Confused Nouns

Habit and Custom

Rule: Habit pertains to individuals; Custom refers to society as a whole.

Incorrect Usage: (a) Abusing others is a very bad custom.

                                (b) Indian marriages involve a lot of habits.

Correct Usage: (a) Abusing others is a very bad habit.

                             (b) Indian marriages involve a lot of customs.

Commonly Used Foreign Terms

Adieu (French): Farewell, goodbye.

Sans (French): Without, absent, minus.

In situ (Latin): In the same place, original position.

Ex gratia (Latin): Doing a favour morally, not compelled to do it legally.

Commonly Used Foreign Terms

Ad hoc (Latin): Arranged, done or dealing with a particular/specific purpose.

Per se (Latin): By itself, oneself or themselves.

Bon voyage (French): Farewell wishes for having a good trip or journey.

Modus operandi (Latin): A particular way of doing something, operating or functioning.

Double Negative

Double negative refers to a clause in which two negatives are used instead of one to give emphasis.

Incorrect Usage: The audience could not barely hear the speech.

Correct Usage: “The audience could barely hear the speech” or “The audience could not hear the speech”.

Incorrect Usage: He does not know nothing about this deal.

Correct Usage: “He does not know about this deal” or “He knows nothing about this deal”.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech, which makes use of exaggeration to emphasize something or make a strong impression.

We nearly died laughing at the clown’s antics.

I called him a thousand times.

Tom has got tons and tons of money.

It’s raining cats and dogs.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech, which makes use of exaggeration to emphasize something or make a strong impression.

My school bag weighs a ton.

It took him ages to cross the crowded street.

I have told you a million times not to be so careless.

She has hundreds of dresses, but, still wants more.

I was so tired that I could sleep for a year.

Phonestheme

Phonestheme refers to a particular sound or its sequence, which implies a certain meaning.

sn-phonestheme is usually related to the nose.

Examples: Snort, Snuff, Sniff, Sneeze, Snoop, etc.

sl-phonestheme suggests slipperiness.

Examples: Slide, Slime, Sludge, Slip, etc.

Phonestheme

Phonestheme refers to a particular sound or its sequence, which implies a certain meaning.

gl-phonestheme is related to reflection, vision, or light.

Examples: Glare, Glaze, Glitter, Glisten, Glimmer, etc.

fl-phonestheme is related to movement.

Examples: Flight, Flurry, Flow, Flock, Float, Flash, etc.

Simile

Simile is a figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things to emphasize the description. Usually ‘like’ and ‘as’ are used for this purpose.

He is as poor as a church mouse.

She is as busy as a bee.

Tom is as brave as a lion.

She performed like a professional artiste.

He slept like a log.

They treated him like an alien.

Anagram

Anagram is a word/phrase that is made up of the same letters as another word/phrase.

           ·         Rite – Tier – Tire

           ·         Part – Trap

           ·         Conversationalists – Conservationalists

           ·         Team – Tame – Mate – Meat

           ·         Nest – Sent – Tens – Nets

           ·         Won – Now – Own

Anagram

Anagram is a word/phrase that is made up of the same letters as another word/phrase.

          ·         Alert – Alter – Later

          ·         Expect – Except

          ·         Lump – Plum

          ·         Hustle – Sleuth

          ·         Limped – Dimple

          ·         Below – Bowel – Elbow

          ·         Demo – Dome – Mode

          ·         Evil – Veil – Vile – Live

          ·         Opt – Pot – Top

          ·         Star – Arts – Rats – Tars

Palindrome

Palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same (forward or backward).

Words: Madam, peep, bib, radar, refer, rotator, kayak, deed, reviver, nun, stats, etc.

Phrases: Don’t nod; race car; no lemon, no melon; never odd or even; Madam I’m Adam, etc. 

Oxymoron

Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms are combined.

Climb down: Jack climbed down the ladder in a jiffy.

Seriously funny: The clown’s antics were seriously funny.

Oxymoron

Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms are combined.

Small crowd: A small crowd had gathered to watch the rescue operation.

Original copy: I forgot where I had kept the original copy of the legal documents.