Name-dropping

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

For the software feature, see
NameDrop
.

Name-dropping (or name-checking) is the practice of naming or alluding to important or famous people and institutions within a conversation,

false authority fallacy.[5]

Purposes

Name-dropping is used to position oneself within a

social hierarchy. It is often used to create a sense of superiority by raising one's status.[citation needed] By implying (or directly asserting) a connection to people of high status, the name-dropper hopes to raise their own social status
to a level closer to that of those whose names they have dropped, and thus elevate themselves above, or into, present company.

Name-dropping can also be used to identify people with a common bond. By indicating the names of people one knows, one makes known their

social circle, providing an opportunity for others with similar connections to relate.[6]

As a form of

appeal to authority, name-dropping can be an important form of informal argumentation
, as long as the name being dropped is of someone who is an expert on the subject of the argument and that person's views are accurately represented.

Methods

Use of the first name may be effective, as in the case of "Kingsley" for Kingsley Amis.[7]

Name-dropping is also sometimes used in works of fiction to place a story in a certain historical timeframe, or to imply the involvement of a historical figure in the action (for example, in a story set during World War II, mentioning Adolf Hitler or Winston Churchill). [citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Wibberley, Leonard (24 February 1950), "It's Hard to Eradicate the Name-Dropping Pest", Los Angeles Times.
  2. doi:10.1108/eb012326
    .
  3. doi:10.1023/B:BTTJ.0000047585.06264.cc
    .
  4. ^ Anderson, Mark B. (2005), "'Yeah, I work with Beckham': Issues of confidentiality, privacy and privilege in sport psychology service delivery" (PDF), Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 1 (2): 3–13, archived (PDF) from the original on 5 October 2015.
  5. ^ Evans, Donald; Palmer, Humphrey (1986), Understanding arguments, Drake Educational Associates, p. 286.
  6. ISBN 978-1-58062-442-8
    .
  7. ^ Joseph Epstein, "A Nice Little Knack for Name Dropping" in Narcissus Leaves the Pool, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007, p. 80ff.

External links

The dictionary definition of name-dropping at Wiktionary

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