winter solstice is coming, and a present for you
I came across some older notes on metaphor, and I had an idea for a little Solstice contest.
We don’t celebrate any religious holidays, but that axial tilt thing does make us howl at the moon and so I’m going to give something away. Before I get to the contest, I need to refresh your memory about metaphor:
A metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things or objects that are different, but have some characteristics in common. That is, a word for one idea or thing is used in place of another word to suggest a likeness between them. Metaphor is a non-literal comparison, and can be simple or very complex and drawn out.
One Thing
Another Thing
Example
Source
friend
chaos
Chaos is a friend of mine.
Bob Dylan
bed
taxi
A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running.
Groucho Marx
conscience
compass
Conscience is a man’s compass.
Vincent Van Gogh
advertising
stick
Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket.
George Orwell
passive voice
customer
The passive voice as a shady customer.
Jan Freeman
you
dog
You ain’t nothing but a hound dog.
Elvis Presley
you
diamond
Shine on, you crazy diamond.
Pink Floyd
joke
politician
I don’t approve of political jokes; I’ve seen too many of them get elected.
Jon Stewart
“Metaphors get under your skin by ghosting right past the logical mind.” –Jane Hirschfeld Implied metaphor compares two unlike things, but it does so without mentioning one of them. The comparison is implied or suggested by using a word or phrase that describes the unmentioned term. Examples:
Don’t bark at me like that, you’re frightening the children. (you = mad dog)
Let’s put lipstick on this pig. (ugly/poor object = needs beautification) From Investment Banking for Dummies
For comparison’s sake, a couple similes, where the comparison is more direct (often using ‘like’ or ‘as’):
One Thing
Another Thing
Example
Source
people
inanimate objects
I would track immigrants like FedEx packages.
Chris Christie
love
beauty
My love is like a red, red rose.
Robert Burns
person
worthless creature
We’re going to beat [Hillary Clinton] like a rented mule.
John McCain
person
oddity of nature
There’s not a one of us who isn’t as twisted as a duck’s dick.
Lisa Kleypas (Blue Eyed Devil)
So here’s the little contest: Come up with a metaphor or simile — one of your own, or one from a published source (which you must name, if that’s the case) which you find to be humorous. I’ll pick some finalists, and everybody can vote for a favorite. And that person will get a pile of books from me. Which books — depends on the person who wins. But a nice pile of books. So go out and metaphorize.
Questions? This would be the place to ask them.
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