arsenal = collection = store

[Jonathan Lighter]

By chance, I find this at a movie review site on the Web:

"War - what is it good for?  An arsenal of phenomenal movies, that's for
sure."

Obviously a figurative use of a word whose meaning the writer is aware of
(though I do find the metaphor a bit strained).

But figurative or not, the meaning is still reducible to "store or supply."
Many denotational changes get started through such figurative uses, not that
I can think of any off hand.

This, which I Googled for, is not so figurative:

"Niki D'Andrea adds Twitterjacking to her arsenal of cluelessness."

JL

On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 12:13 PM, Eric Nielsen <ericbarnak at gmail.com> wrote:

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> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Eric Nielsen <ericbarnak at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: arsenal = collection = store
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I had a music partner who often used military (and firearm) imagery when
> referring to music and its environs. In his case, however, he was well
> versed in military history and, I'm sure, was speaking metaphorically when:
>
> For example, if we were at a musical festival or some other venue and the
> situation became somewhat hectic, he would say, "We're under combat
> conditions, here."
>
> Or, when we learned some new material and added it to our repertoire, he
> would regularly say, "Yeah, we've got plenty of ammunition, now."
>
> Eric
>
> On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 10:44 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: arsenal = collection = store
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Perhaps I was being too sophisticated and conservative when I said
> "store."
> > The man was more likely to be thinking "collection."
> >
> > There must be millions of Americans who are unfamiliar with the
> traditional
> > meaning of "arsenal" but who have read and heard it used figuratively in
> > th=
> > e
> > media.
> >
> > "I'm adding dragon breath to my arsenal of super powers."
> >
> > "The late Rudy Vallee now boasts hiphop skills in his entertainment
> > arsenal!"
> >
> > (Ad hoc exx.)
> >
> > JL
> >
> >
> >
>
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