**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:24

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:24

Punching back in 2018 @shoutcacophony

Jun 21, 2018, 19:24

Punching back in 2018 @shoutcacophony

literary nerd discourse about "not all" usage Show more

this just hit me.

i think white people are still on this "but not me!!!!!" thing when someone says "white people".

this happens on here a lot. a POC says something that's meant in the abstract (while still being relevant and valid) about "white people", and in rush the explainers.

it's pretty obvious what this is, in terms of privilege (or should be imo) -- but i want to talk about language here for a minute.

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:26

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:26

Jun 21, 2018, 19:26

Punching back in 2018 @shoutcacophony

literary nerd discourse about "not all" usage Show more

i think this comes down to not understanding, for whatever reason, what a metonym is.

definition of a metonymy:

"A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or of the sword for military power."

that what "white people" means. it doesn't mean "every single caucasian who has ever graced, or not graced, tvym, the earth".

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · 2018-06-21T19:27:18Z

Punching back in 2018 @shoutcacophony

literary nerd discourse about "not all" usage Show more

this gets pointed out over and over again, and has for years now, and yet, people still bounce back.

same goes for "not all men".

somehow, it's always white men who do this shit. <- example of metonymy in practice

Jun 21, 2018, 19:27 · Web · 0 · 4

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:29

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:29

Jun 21, 2018, 19:29

Punching back in 2018 @shoutcacophony

literary nerd discourse about "not all" usage Show more

It's also offensive as heck -- there's a large percentage of white people and men alike, who map to the abstracted example. Just like a lot of politicians, lobbyists, etc. in DC map to "Washington."

Again, i'm talking about language here.

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:31

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:31

Jun 21, 2018, 19:31

Punching back in 2018 @shoutcacophony

literary nerd discourse about "not all" usage Show more

I wonder sometimes when white people, or men, who do this sort of thing (and who aren't just trolling or being toxic on purpose), understand any of this.

One possibility: when otherwise sort-of-well-intentioned people say "not me!", they look at "white people" or "men" as a form of synecdoche, with them as the "target".

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:32

**Punching back in 2018** @shoutcacophony · Jun 21, 2018, 19:32

Jun 21, 2018, 19:32

Punching back in 2018 @shoutcacophony

literary nerd discourse about "not all" usage Show more

As in:

"A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special, as in ten sail for ten ships or a Croesus for a rich man."

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/synecdoche

Nobody thinks you're Captain America here, honest. :p