He Called Her “Miss,” and He Meant It to Sting

Quote:  “Miss Cleavage.” Pierce Marshall, resentful stepson of Anna Nicole Smith.

Figure of Speech:  antonomasia (an-to-no-MAY-sia), the descriptive nickname.

Classic love story:  Stripper marries doddering oilman, becomes grieving widow, gets stiffed of inheritance by oilman’s son, and sues all the way to the Supreme Court. “Quite a story,” says a sentimental Justice Breyer, almost wiping a tear from his eye.

When Pierce Marshall, 67-year-old son and alleged heir of Anna Nicole Smith’s hubby, refers to his 36-year-old stepmom as “Miss Cleavage,” he employs an antonomasia (“to name instead”). The figure uses a short description as a substitute for a proper name. The antonomasia can also work the other way, with a proper name as a description— referring to a soldier as a Rambo, for instance, or calling an obsequious black man Uncle Tom.

Snappy Answer:  “That’s one thing you can’t steal.”

Comments

[gb]

"I screwed him out of $20 million, and wasn't even a lawyer."

[Rob]

Actually one of the lawyers called her Miss Clevage, not Pierce Marshall. Luckily nobody was really screwed out of 20 million.

[Figaro]

We stand corrected, thanks, Rob. Though "screwed into" might be more accurate than "screwed out of."

[Shannon Holcomb]

Darling;

I need to unsubscribe, and I don't see a way to do that. I'm going to be traveling for more than three months and *must* keep my inbox a bit tidy. Help, please.


-Shannon*