- Professors and teachers characteristically use red pens to grade work. The red color carries a special significance, indicating usually that a mistake has been made. Red pens are thus associated with the teacher via metonymy, since they are often linked, and the pen is used to signify professor.
Redpen
other word formation type Metonymy; noun
A professor or teacher who grades schoolwork
Etymology : A combination of red and pen, from the utensil used by instructors
Source : “That’s technically fine, but when the redpen sees it, she might not agree.” (Me, Nov. 2017)
Last modified: 30 November 2017