Connotation: making associations CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

UNIT 96

Connotation: making associations

A

Different kinds of associations We often associate words [make connections] with something that is not obvious from the literal meaning of the word. The dove, for example, is a white bird that has associations with peace. So if a journalist calls a politician a dove, they are suggesting that he or she is a peacemaker. Similarly, they might call a more aggressive, hard-line politician a hawk, a bird which hunts its prey. Some associations like those of dove and hawk will be shared by most speakers of English and they may even be included in a good dictionary for learners. Sometimes associations are not the same for all native speakers of the same language, but may vary from one geographical area to another. Black cats, for example, have associations with good luck in Britain but with bad luck in the USA. Many associations are purely personal. Someone who had a bad experience of dogs in childhood may think of a dog as being fi erce and frightening, whereas for others dogs may represent loyalty and friendship. The most commonly shared association of the word dog in English is ‘faithfulness’. However, the phrase a dog’s life is used to refer to a very unhappy and unpleasant life.

B

Understanding associations Journalists, advertisers and other writers or speakers who want to interest and entertain their audience often make use of word associations. A fashion advert might ask, for example, ‘Would you like to have that Paris look?’, which draws on the associations of Paris with glamour and style. Or someone might refer to cowboy builders, meaning builders who are not careful or trustworthy. It might seem difficult at first to understand this kind of language, but your knowledge both of the world and of the primary meanings of words will help you. Paris, for example, is known throughout the world as a centre of high fashion and it is quite possible that the name Paris is associated with glamour in your own language too. If you have seen a Western, you will have seen how cowboys often behave in a careless and dishonest way. Think, for example, about the words shark, scar and diamond. You probably know their literal meanings – a large sea creature with sharp teeth, a mark left on the skin after a cut has healed, and a precious stone, respectively – but what associations do you think they have for English speakers in general? What might someone mean if they said the following? ‘They’re all sharks in that garage.’ ‘I think that new office block is a scar on the landscape.’ ‘Emma’s a real diamond.’ The idea of sharks as sharp-toothed creatures with an aggressive reputation should help you to understand that the speaker does not like the garage. The fact that a scar is a mark of a wound on something that was once unspoilt should help you to appreciate that the speaker does not like the new office block. The beauty and high value of a diamond as a precious stone should help you to see that the speaker has a high opinion of Emma. Language help Research into language learning shows that words are better remembered if you have personal associations in mind as you learn them. Remember to think about what your associations with a word are as you learn it.

EXERCISES

96.1	Answer these questions about the associations discussed on the opposite page. 1 Would you recommend a cowboy plumber to a friend? 2 Would a politician be more likely to be called a dove if they were a peacemaker or if they argued for military action? 3 What is more likely to be a scar on the landscape – a waterfall or a factory chimney? 4 Would you be pleased to be called a diamond? 5 Would you be pleased to be called a hawk? 6 In Britain would you be likely to see a black cat on a good luck card or not? 7 What characteristic is a dog most typically said to have in English? 8 Would you be likely to call a business Supersharks?
96.2	Match the colours with their associations in English. Are any of these the same in your language? (See Unit 65 for more about the associations of colour in English.) 1 purple a purity 2 green b evil 3 yellow c royalty 4 red d inexperienced 5 white e danger 6 black f a coward
96.3	Are these statements about the associations of animals in English correct? When a statement is wrong, correct it. 1 If you say someone has a dog’s life, you think they have an easy life. 2 If you call a businessman a snake, you trust him. 3 If you say someone’s hair is mousy, you mean it is dark brown and strikingly attractive. 4 If you say someone is being ratty, you mean they are irritable. 5 If you say someone can be catty, you mean they tend to be lazy. 6 If you say something is fishy, you mean it is suspicious. 7 If you call someone a sheep, you mean they are very independent-minded. 8 If you say that someone is hawk-eyed, you mean that they have very big eyes.
96.4	Can you make any associations between the colours in 96.2 and the animals and their associations in 96.3 that will help you to understand why these associations have been made?
96.5	Some of these have associations of good luck in English and some have associations of bad luck. Decide whether each picture represents good luck or bad luck.
96.6	Over to you Write down five colours and five animals. What are your own associations for these words?

ANSWER KEY

96.1 1 No, you wouldn’t. 2 a peacemaker 3 a factory chimney 4 Yes, it’s a compliment. 5 No, you wouldn’t. 6 Yes, as it’s a symbol of good luck. 7 faithfulness 8 No, you wouldn’t. Although super suggests something extra good, shark has a negative meaning in a business context. 96.2 1 c 2 d (also associated with growth, fertility) 3 f (also associated with cheerfulness) 4 e (also associated with fierceness) 5 a (also associated with birth) 6 b (also associated with death, nothingness) Note that these are not the only associations which these colours have. Blue, green and red, for instance, can also be used to refer to different political parties. 96.3 1 No. If you say someone has a dog’s life, you think they have a difficult life. 2 No. If you call a businessman a snake, you don’t trust him. 3 No. If you say someone’s hair is mousy, you mean it is light brown and not especially striking or attractive. 4 Correct. 5 No. If you say someone can be catty, you mean they tend to say unkind things about people. 6 Correct. 7 No. If you call someone a sheep, you mean they just follow others and are not independent at all. 8 No. If you say that someone is hawk-eyed, you mean that they have very sharp eyes. 96Possible answers: (but you may have some better ones!) Colours Purple is often the colour of royal robes (and was the colour of the most important Romans’ togas, because it was made from an expensive dye). Green is the colour of new growth and this may suggest inexperience. Yellow might be seen as the colour white people’s skin goes when they are afraid. Red is the colour of fire, so may suggest danger. White is the absence of colour, which suggests purity, a blank sheet. Black is dark, and seems to suggest things that are hidden and frightening, hence evil..4 Animals ‘A dog’s life’ may come from the idea that a dog is totally under the thumb of its master. A snake is a creature that many people are afraid of. They know that snakes can be dangerous. A mouse is usually light brown or grey in colour and it is not generally a popular animal, so it is not surprising that ‘mousy’ has negative and dull associations as a hair colour. Rats generally have very unpleasant associations for most English speakers, so it is not surprising that rattiness is a negative quality. Cats have sharp claws which can scratch and hurt people. Fish can have a rather unpleasant smell, one that can hang around for a long time, so this may suggest something suspicious, i.e. what is causing that unpleasant smell? Sheep tend to follow one another rather than all acting in an independent way. As a bird of prey, the hawk needs very sharp eyes. 96.5 1 bad luck 2 good luck 3 bad luck 4 good luck