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Metaphor and Methonymy as Conceptual Tools and Their Uses in the Language of the Press

The first part of the lecture introduces the concepts of metaphor, metonymy, and synecdoche. It explains their functions of understanding, referring, and directing attention. A basic classification of metaphors and metonymies is presented, and each type is illustrated with examples of expressions. The second part focuses on short press texts and headlines related to various aspects of experience, e.g. economy, sports, politics, show business. It discusses how uses of specific metaphors and metonymies affect the perception of events by potential readers, possibly even forcing them into various, often conflicting, views of reality. The press excerpts come from American weekly magazines Time and Newsweek.