Looking back on the metaphor-metonymy divide

Abstract Recent research suggests more overlaps between metaphor and metonymy than is often suggested by theoretical and applied studies, which can frequently tend towards cleanly identifying between these figurative operations and presenting a neat set of (quantitative) results. However, differentiating between metaphor and metonymy in real-world contexts is notoriously tricky, and often leaves researchers in a position that demands choosing one or the other as the main focal point of the study. In this article, I reflect on the difficulty of disentangling metaphor from metonymy and vice versa, and some of the interesting research that has previously highlighted the fuzzy boundaries between them, including how these figures may “shape-shift”, across discourses, contexts, and in the mind. Overall, I suggest that concentrating more deliberatively on metaphor and metonymy’s blurred boundaries and shape-shifting tendencies is an important avenue for future research.