Synecdoche

I had to look this one up:

Synecdoche (pronounced “si-NEK-də-kee”, IPA: /sɪˈnɛkdəˌki/; from Greek synekdoche (συνεκδοχή), meaning “simultaneous understanding”) is a figure of speech in which:

* a term denoting a part of something is used to refer to the whole thing (Pars pro toto), or
* a term denoting a thing (a “whole”) is used to refer to part of it (Totum pro parte), or
* a term denoting a specific class of thing is used to refer to a larger, more general class, or
* a term denoting a general class of thing is used to refer to a smaller, more specific class, or
* a term denoting a material is used to refer to an object composed of that material.

Synecdoche is closely related to metonymy (the figure of speech in which a term denoting one thing is used to refer to a related thing); indeed, synecdoche is considered a subclass of metonymy. It is more distantly related to other figures of speech, such as metaphor.

Now when the subject of great contemporary actors come up, Philip Seymour Hoffman immediately comes to (my) mind. And then I find that he is in a film directed by the terrific (IMHO) writer, Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, etc.). Last night I saw Synecdoche, New York. Go see it for yourself!