93
Metaphor: seeing the light A
What are metaphors? Metaphor is concerned with using words in abstract rather than literal ways. It is a way of expressing something by comparing it indirectly with something else that has similar characteristics. If we call a city a jungle, for example, we are using a metaphor. We are suggesting that a city is like a jungle, in that it is wild and full of dangers. If we say that someone lights up our life, we are using a metaphor. We are suggesting that person is like a light in our life, in that they make our life brighter and happier.
B
Idioms and metaphors Many idioms are metaphorical expressions which are in common use. be on the ball [be very aware of things and ready to act – like a good footballer]
to keep someone/something on a tight rein [have a lot of control over someone/something – like a rider having control over a horse]
Some of the most common idiom-metaphors are based on parts of the body. So we might say that a building is in the heart of the city. [centre] We can call the place where a river joins the sea its mouth, and the person in charge of an organisation its head. If you say that someone has an eye for a bargain, you mean they are good at finding a bargain. If you keep a (close) eye on someone/something, you watch them carefully. If you say that something is in safe hands, you mean that the person in charge is capable. If you say that something goes hand in hand with something else, you mean that they exist together and are interconnected: Rights go hand in hand with responsibilities. If you talk about doing something using a rule of thumb, you mean you are calculating something in a way that is not exact but will allow you to be accurate enough.
C
Common metaphorical concepts in English Many words in English are so frequently used in a metaphorical way that English speakers may no longer notice that they are metaphors. Here are some examples: • Intelligence and understanding are equated with light; for example, a clever person is called bright and a less intelligent person dim. If you see the light, you understand something. To cast light on something means making it easier to understand: The discovery of the poet’s letters has cast light on his troubled relationship with his brother. • Intensity of feeling or passion is equated with temperature; someone who is enthusiastic at one time and not at another is said to blow hot and cold. If someone is hotheaded, then they react quickly on the basis of their feelings without thinking first. If you call someone cold-hearted, then you think they are without feeling. • The movement of people or traffic is equated with the movement of water; we can, for example, talk of people flooding or trickling out of a hall, or say there was a constant stream of traffic past the window. • Time is likened to money; both are seen as commodities that can be spent or wasted or used profitably. You can also talk about investing time, using it in a way that you think will pay dividends in future. [bring you advantages] • Business is likened to a military operation; strategies, tactics and campaigns are used in both contexts. So a company might launch an advertising campaign, for example, or work on its marketing strategy.
192
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
