Definition:
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.
Etymology:
From the Greek, "instead of" plus "name"Examples and Observations:
- Calling a lover "Casanova," an office worker "Dilbert," Elvis Presley "the King," Bill Clinton "the Comeback Kid," or Horace Rumpole's wife "She Who Must Be Obeyed"
- "When 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 there's a horrifying sound a waiter never wants to hear, it's the THUMP of a purse on the counter. Then the digging sound of the Primper's claws trying to find makeup, hairbrushes, and perfume. . . . Once, I was stuck in a bathroom waiting for a Primper to leave while my intestines threatened to shoot out of my belly button for hours. By the time the ordeal was over, it was dark outside, and everyone in my office thought I had gone home."
(Laurie Notaro, The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club) - "Jerry: The guy who runs the place is a little temperamental, especially about the ordering procedure. He's secretly referred to as the Soup Nazi.
Elaine: Why? What happens if you don't order right?
Jerry: He yells and you don't get your soup."
(Seinfeld) - "I told you we could count on Mr. Old-Time Rock and Roll!"
(Murray referring to Arthur in Velvet Goldmine) - "I'm a myth. I'm Beowulf. I'm Grendel."
(Karl Rove) - The character of James "Sawyer" Ford in the ABC television program Lost regularly uses antonomasia to annoy his companions. His nicknames for Hurley have included "Lardo," "Pork Pie," "Stay Puff," "Pillsbury," "Jabba," "Hoss," and "Jethro."
Pronunciation: an-toe-no-MAZ-ya
Also Known As: antinomasia
