What the green is Synesthesia? Something to numb my synonyms before the editing scalpel comes out?
Synesthasia is actually a neurological condition in which one sensation (touch, sound, taste etc) is associated with something unrelated (there are different kinds of synesthetes, some see all number 5’s in red, regardless of whatever color ink they were printed on, some see certain colors with certain sounds even if they aren’t present.
For our purposes though, Synesthesia is also a literary term which essentially describes that sensation. Saying the bright pink Right Said Fred shirt was “Loud” is a common example of synesthesia. That happens like everyday. People in their loud Right Said Fred shirts prancing around the library like it’s OK. Shh your shirt buddy. I personally notice color with taste. Certain vegetables taste green. So does Tanqueray mixed with Wintergreen Schnaapps. And it’s not just the green bottle, I swear.
So: “Loud shirt” or “Green taste” or “Spicy Rhythm” are all examples of synesthesia. Here is a link to Wiki page about synesthesia in literature for some dry reading to essentially just give you a bunch of similar examples. But that’s really how most explanations are, aren’t they? I spent a paragraph in a post about a neurological condition/literary term talking about Right Said Fred and Tanqueray, and while that may make for an interesting party, it has little to do with the post. Thus is life.