July 26, 2005, 05:53
petergrabseponym
what exactly is an eponym? looking at the list it seems to be a phrase generalizing the role or action of a specific person.
so shouldn't this list include "to pull a jack ruby", meaning to assassinate a criminal before he can be tried, like ruby did to oswald?
July 26, 2005, 08:18
arnieIt's a word that comes from a person.
I wouldn't call "to pull a jack ruby" an eponym; more like a metaphor, or, if it's meant literally, an allusion. If "Jack Ruby" came to mean "to assassinate a criminal before he can be tried", as in "Look out, someone will try to Jack Ruby him if the police aren't careful." that might become an eponym.
August 07, 2005, 20:01
Kallehquote:
I wouldn't call "to pull a jack ruby" an eponym; more like a metaphor, or, if it's meant literally, an allusion.
Interesting question, Peter, that I missed. So, Arnie, do eponyms begin as metaphors and allusions and then get to be used so much that they finally become eponyms? Or is there some distinction from the beginning?
August 07, 2005, 23:43
arniequote:
So, Arnie, do eponyms begin as metaphors and allusions and then get to be used so much that they finally become eponyms?
I'd say so, yes.