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Subsection 7.2.7 Referential Ambiguity – Rhetorical Devices

The problem of assigning referents is further complicated by the use of various kinds of rhetorical devices (figures of speech), such as metonymy.

Is this statement true, false, or nonsense:

Michigan is in Nebraska now.

Taken literally, it is false. The state of Michigan is not contained in the state of Nebraska.

But this statement does have a sensible meaning that could, in some circumstances be true: Something (very likely a sports team) associated with the state of Michigan is now in Nebraska. In fact, a newscaster said it when the University of Michigan’s solar car entered the state of Nebraska on its way from Austin to Minnesota, where it won the 2014 solar car challenge.

Exercises Exercises

Exercise Group.

For each of the following sentences mark the statement that is true of it:

Part 1.

The White House just announced a new policy on greenhouse gases.

  1. The literal meaning could be true.

  2. The literal meaning is false or nonsense but there is a meaning that exploits a figure of speech and that could be true.

  3. It’s hard to find any meaning that isn’t nonsense.

Answer.

Correct answer is B

Solution.

Explanation: The White House is a building. Buildings cannot talk. But we can use the phrase, “The White House,” to stand for the President (the person who lives in the White House) or perhaps the President’s spokesperson. Under that interpretation, the sentence makes sense and is either true or false at any particular time.

Part 2.

Wall Street overreacted to the latest unemployment numbers.

  1. The literal meaning could be true.

  2. The literal meaning is false or nonsense but there is a meaning that exploits a figure of speech and that could be true.

  3. It’s hard to find any meaning that isn’t nonsense.

Answer.

Correct answer is B.

Solution.

Streets don’t react. But we can use the phrase, “Wall Street,” to stand for the U.S. stock market, which has historically been located there.