what is the word for...?

Question

what is the word for compairing a word to the alternate meaning of the word?

confused? ok...

normal comparison: this knife is as dull as a butterknife.

what i'm talking about: this knife is as dull as a grey sweater.

the alternate word of meaning is "dull".
the normal is dull as not sharp.
the alternate is dull as boring.
the use for this type of comparing is a joking way of expressing the inadequacy of something.

is there a word for this type of comparison or did i stumble upon a new idea/word?

and just for fun you try to make a comparison like the one i am talking about.

if i made a new idea of comparison, would i be able to claim this word as my own and name it? and where would i do so?


*i trademark this word if it wasn't already made before this post.

don't really mean trade mark. rather i mean get credit for.

Answer 1

What you are describing about the word "dull" appears to be just different uses of the same word with the same origins in different applications but with the same basic definition.

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dull
adj. dull·er, dull·est

Intellectually weak or obtuse; stupid.
Lacking responsiveness or alertness; insensitive.
Dispirited; depressed.
Not brisk or rapid; sluggish: Business is dull.
Not having a sharp edge or point; blunt: a dull knife.
Not intensely or keenly felt: a dull ache.
Arousing no interest or curiosity; boring: a dull play.
Not bright or vivid. Used of a color: a dull brown.
Cloudy or overcast: a dull sky.
Not clear or resonant: a dull thud.
tr. & intr.v. dulled, dull·ing, dulls

To make or become dull.


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[Middle English dul; ; akin to Old English dol.]
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dullish adj.
dullness or dulness n.
dully adv.
Synonyms: dull, colorless, drab, humdrum, lackluster, pedestrian, stodgy, uninspired
These adjectives mean lacking in liveliness, charm, or surprise: a dull, uninteresting performance; a colorless and unimaginative person; a drab and boring job; a humdrum conversation; a lackluster life; a pedestrian movie plot; a stodgy dinner party; an uninspired lecture.
Antonym: lively
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The words might be considered some form of homonym, but I would not call your various uses of the "dull" homonyms because they appear to be the same word used in slightly different ways to express the same basic idea - i.e. not sharp or acute.

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Homonym
One of two (or more) words that have the same pronunciation or spelling, but are different in meaning. (Homonyms which have the same spelling are also heteronyms; homonyms that have the same pronunciation, but different spelling and meaning, are also homophones; and homonyms that have the same spelling but are different in origin, meaning, and pronunciation are also homographs); e.g. sewer, row, write and right, way and weigh. More examples here.
• From Greek homo (=same).
• Take care when using the following terms as their meanings are easily confusable: homonym, homophone, heteronym, heterophone, homograph, heterograph.
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Somewhere in this list there should be a name for exactly the idea that you're thinking of. The second link below lists all kinds of different "nyms" and such.

Answer 2

Dull as a butterknife is a simile. Simile is a statement that one thing is like another, especially as a figure of speech for some effect. Here are some more examples:
Hard as nails
As brave as a lion
Quiet as a church mouse

Metaphors and similes both make comparisons, but in a metaphor the comparison is implied and in a simile it is indicated by 'like' or 'as'. "The sea of life" is a metaphor.
"Life is like a sea" is a simile.

Answer 3

When you say -the knife is as dull as the grey sweater-you are using a simile.

And you also kind of use an oxymoron.When you say the knife was dull ,because knives are normally associated with being sharp.

Let me see if I can give an example of what you said:
The pansies in my backyard are as boring as my english teacher's lectures.

Answer 4

The comparison part of the statement is a simile. The alternate use of, in this case "dull", would be a pun. So I guess you could call this a "punny simile".

Answer 5

I don't think you can trademark a word like that, but it would be cool to publish a book with the word in it (or as the title) and be credited with coining it. (Like Douglas Coupland did with Generation X, or before him, Tom Swifties)

Not the brightest crayon in the box and Not the sharpest tool in the shed come to mind.

Answer 6

I don't think there's really a word for it. Generally, you'd probably just be disregarded as someone who is unable to come up with accurate comparisons.

And you can't trademark a word or phrase unless you're actually using it in business.

Answer 7

When my dad is playing cards and he's not doing so well he says "I've got a hand like a foot..."

But no sorry I don't know the word for that, I'm sure there is one though

Answer 8

its the opposite of synonymous i suppose....