GCEEnglish LanguageIdioms and Figures of Speech2019

The expression 'The pen is mightier than the sword' is best described as

Aa simile comparing writing to fighting
Ba metonymy in which the pen represents writing and the sword represents military forceCORRECT
Ca hyperbole exaggerating the strength of a pen
Dan oxymoron combining two contradictory ideas
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Why the answer is B, and why the others tempt you.
Metonymy is a figure of speech in which one thing is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it. Here, 'pen' stands for writing, intellectual power, or communication, while 'sword' stands for military power or violence. This substitution of associated concepts is the defining feature of metonymy, not simile or hyperbole.
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