AT2
PART 1 — Text Typology and Context
You could say something like:
The chosen text is an internet meme circulated through social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and WhatsApp. The meme consists of an image of bananas in a supermarket together with three textual elements in English: the caption “When you forget the word but still have enough vocabulary to explain about it”, the supermarket slogan “Prices you can trust”, and the product label “LONG YELLOW THINGS”. Although the text is not very complex-, this presentation will mainly focus with the label, presenting the topic which is circumlocution or tip-of-the-tongue phenomena. This phenomenon occurs when an individual tries to retrieve a word from memory but cannot quite recall it, often leading to creative alternatives to convey the intended meaning. Or by definition of the Cambridge Dictionary, circumlocution is described as "an indirect way of saying something”.
The meme is designed for a broad online audience, more especificaly English speakers, and with that feel related to the common experience of temporarily forgetting words.
In this case the participants are not directly interacting, communication occurs between the meme creator (as the speaker) and the audience (as the reader) through shared cultural and linguistic knowledge. It's important to note that data related to the meme is not specific, it can only be estimated to apear in the 2000. Since then, users have made their own captions and interpretations.
You can briefly mention:
memes as multimodal texts,
online humor culture,
shared experiences.
topic: lexical retrieval failure —> circumlocution or tip-of-the-tongue phenomena
Dictionary Cambridge: an indirect way of saying something, especially something unpleasant
Slotta. D : “In 2019, global online users sent over 41,6 billion mobile messages and 2,1 snaps, exemplifying digital users’ constant need to communicate and share”.
PART 2 — Linguistic Analysis (Semantics)
This is the core of your work.
Your central claim could be:
The text analysis will focus on the semantic aspects of the meme, as it demonstrates how meaning can still be successfully communicated through descriptive language, even when direct lexical retrieval fails.
Your main concept:
Circumlocution through descriptive semantics
Linguistic Features Present
1. Descriptive Meaning
“LONG YELLOW THINGS” describes bananas through semantic properties rather than direct naming.
Semantic features:
LONG → shape
YELLOW → color
THINGS → generic object category
Function:
allows communication despite missing vocabulary,
activates conceptual knowledge in the reader.
The phrase “LONG YELLOW THINGS” describes bananas through semantic properties rather than directly naming the object. The semantic features utilized include "LONG," which refers to the shape of the bananas; "YELLOW," whilch indicates their color; and "THINGS," which categorizes them as a generic object. This descriptive approach allows for effective communication even in the absence of precise vocabulary (BANANA), while simultaneously forces the reader to activate their lexical knowledge, hopefully undertanding the intended meaning ithout the help of the other clues.
2. Semantic Features
You can explain that meaning is constructed through bundles of semantic traits.
The audience recognizes bananas because:
bananas are prototypically yellow,
elongated,
common supermarket products.
This demonstrates:
semantic categorization,
feature-based interpretation,
conceptual knowledge.
This description relies on bundles of semantic traits that enable the audience to recognize bananas based on specific characteristics. Bananas are commonly identified by their prototypical features: they are primarily yellow, elongated, and widely recognized as supermarket products. This process illustrates the concepts of semantic categorization and feature-based interpretation while activating the reader's conceptual knowledge, all of which contribute to the understanding and identification of the object in question.
3. Semantic Underspecification
“LONG YELLOW THINGS” is technically vague.
It could refer to:
bananas,
yellow zucchinis,
toys,
candies.
But context restricts interpretation:
supermarket setting,
image,
shared knowledge.
Function:
shows how semantics and context interact.
On one side the phrase “LONG YELLOW THINGS” describes bananas through semantic properties rather than directly naming the object. This process illustrates semantic categorization and feature-based interpretation while activating the reader's conceptual knowledge, facilitating their understanding and identification of the object in question.
In contrast, the slogan “Prices you can trust” suggests professionalism, competence, and reliability. In the context of the meme, this phrase establishes trust between the consumer and the vender.
4. Semantic Incongruity
The slogan:
“Prices you can trust”
suggests:
professionalism,
competence,
reliability.
But:
“LONG YELLOW THINGS”
sounds absurdly imprecise.
This creates humor through contradiction between:
institutional authority,
lexical incompetence.
Speech Acts
Even though you focus on semantics, you can briefly mention speech acts because your professor asked for functions.
“Prices you can trust”
Speech act:
persuasive/promotional speech act.
Function:
builds consumer trust,
advertises reliability,
creates positive evaluation.
“LONG YELLOW THINGS”
Speech act:
referential/identifying act.
Function:
labels a product,
communicates referent indirectly.
Caption
Speech act:
explanatory + humorous evaluative act.
Function:
tells the audience how to interpret the image,
frames the meme as relatable humor.
PART 3 — Functions / Social Uses
This part is extremely important.
You should explain:
What does the meme DO socially?
1. Creates Relatability
The meme reflects a universal cognitive experience:
forgetting words,
but still understanding concepts.
Readers identify with the situation.
2. Demonstrates Communicative Flexibility
The meme shows:
communication does not depend only on precise vocabulary,
humans can negotiate meaning collaboratively.
This is a key semantic idea.
3. Creates Humor through Shared Knowledge
The audience participates actively:
they infer “banana,”
they understand the lexical failure,
they recognize the absurdity.
Humor depends on shared semantic competence.
4. Possible Social Meaning / Stereotypes
Be careful here — this can be sensitive.
You can briefly discuss how descriptive language and lexical gaps are sometimes stereotypically associated with:
second-language speakers,
immigrants,
people with limited vocabulary.
But you should frame this critically and carefully.
You could say:
The meme may indirectly evoke stereotypes associated with non-native speakers or immigrants who use descriptive circumlocution when lacking specific vocabulary in a second language. However, the humor of the meme is universal rather than targeted, because lexical retrieval difficulties occur among fluent native speakers as well. Therefore, the meme ultimately normalizes communicative imperfection instead of mocking linguistic incompetence.
This is safer and academically stronger than saying it mocks immigrants directly.
PART 4 — Reflection / Social Meaning
This is where you become reflective and theoretical.
You can argue:
The meme demonstrates that semantics plays a central role in human communication because meaning can still be successfully negotiated even when precise lexical items are unavailable. Through semantic features, contextual interpretation, and shared cultural knowledge, speakers and listeners collaboratively construct meaning. The text therefore shows that communication depends not only on vocabulary accuracy but also on inferential and conceptual processes.
You can finish with something like:
The meme also highlights the creativity and adaptability of human language users. Even lexical failure becomes communicatively productive because speakers can compensate through descriptive semantic strategies.
Strong Final Thesis
This could be your main concluding idea:
The meme illustrates that semantic meaning is not located exclusively in individual words but emerges through the interaction between description, context, shared knowledge, and audience inference.