Transferred Epithet In the following sentence: There was a * little * man in a back street who imported just the coffee she liked, another who blended tea to perfection, a third who has the secre

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Transferred Epithet In the following sentence: There was a * little * man in a back street who imported just the coffee she liked, another who blended tea to perfection, a third who has the secret of making excellent hams. The word LITTLE is used as a transferred epithet, accounted by a grammar book. Isn't this rhetoric infrequent amongst educated people? Thanks

2013年5月25日 06:52

修改 · 4

Christine, thank you for the interreting site. // "to the point where it can be considered pretentious" haha, I'm pretentious,yes.

2014年4月16日

I am sure you must have found the information you need after almost a year, but I was unfamiliar with the concept of a "transferred epithet" so I looked it up. As this link notes, such things are so commonly used that most native speakers don't give them a thought, but when I look at them and imagine I'm trying to learn English I can better understand your question. Here is the link; I hope it is helpful. http://references-definitions.blurtit.com/53988/what-is-a-transferred-epithet I suspect that awareness of this rhetoric would be a very specialized sort of education, if that answers your question. There are so many grammar rules in English that it's difficult even for native speakers to keep them straight. On a cultural note, precise grammar in everyday speech and writing is rarely seen in America, to the point where it can be considered pretentious. Good luck with your studies! I am impressed by the depth of your interest.

2014年4月16日