Definition
A conventional metonymy is a metonymy that is commonly used in everyday language in a culture to give structure to some portion of that culture’s conceptual system.
Examples
(English)
- The understanding of a reference to the face as standing for the whole person
- Example: We need some new faces around here.
- The understanding of a reference to the physiological response of increased body heat as standing for anger
- Example: Don’t get hot under the collar.
Sources 1
- Lakoff, G. and Johnson 1980, 35–36, 38, 66, 139