noun phrase

[Anonymous]

In the phrase "the nuisance of a dripping faucet", is the dripping faucet itself the nuisance (dripping faucet=nuisance, a bit like "the city of London" where the city IS London) or is the nuisance created by the dripping faucet (the nuisance which belongs to the dripping faucet)?

[Rusty]

In the phrase "the nuisance of a dripping faucet", is the dripping faucet itself the nuisance (dripping faucet=nuisance, a bit like "the city of London" where the city IS London) or is the nuisance created by the dripping faucet (the nuisance which belongs to the dripping faucet)?

There are two things about it that could be a nuisance: listening to the drip or knowing that you have to fix it. The writer probably means the annoyance of listening to the drip.