“Also like a metaphor”
From Robert Musil, The Man Without Qualities.
Block those metaphors
“Even as Democratic contenders are well into the process of courting high-ranking and local labor officials, union leaders plan to delay their endorsements as they take the temperature of members on the ground in an attempt to avoid the top-down approach that caused so much heartburn.”
Another Bermuda Triangle
From the film Private Life, a metaphor for a difficult time of year.
New directions in metaphor
New, at least, to me: “Can I double-click on that later?” Meaning, “Can I go into detail about that later?” “Can I wait to explain that?”
Block that metaphor
“The tsunami of new words has not so far relieved us of the encroaching corruptions of political vocabulary skewered by Orwell seventy years ago.”
CNN, sheesh
“The rails are starting to come off.”
“The best witches”
From a New York Times editorial : “For a witch hunt, Mr. Mueller’s investigation has already bagged a remarkable number of witches.”
Rosetta?
“This tape is a Rosetta stone”: does the metaphor really fit?
At the center
I turned on the television and heard an MSNBC anchor describe Stormy Daniels as the person “at the center of Michael Cohen’s legal troubles.” No, that would be Michael Cohen.
Steroids and stilts
“Trump is Nixon on steroids and stilts”: John Dean (who should know).
Metaphors, mixed
“We’ll bottom out, and then we’ll start to turn a corner.”
Scabs and banjos
Chris Matthews, speaking of Donald Trump on Meet the Press today : “He knows he can find the issues that rip the scab off this cultural divide, and he plays it like a banjo.”
Good cop, bad cop
This metaphor for a Tillerson–Trump North Korea strategy is, let’s say, faulty. And not merely because there is no evidence of a coordinated strategy.
Metaphor, off-course
“Corporate America has become the moral compass that is leading the argument.”
Extending a metaphor
The shit will continue to hit the fan with tiny fecal hands, knocking the fan off the tabletop (it’s a table fan) and making a mess everywhere.
Awkward metaphor of the day
“He’s not going to be a wallflower that’s going to get pushed around.”
Block that metaphor
“They’re trying to find the middle ground where they can straddle this awkward situation.”
From an old notebook
“The next number will be ‘I’m in the Mood for Love,’ sung by a member of the Eagles Club.”
Recently updated
Stefan Hagemann deconstructs of a Trump-campaign metaphor.
Spinning and pitching
A dubious three-part metaphor to explain why Donald Trump is now on his third campaign manager.
Awkward metaphor of the day
“She’s straddling both ends of this.”
Block that metaphor
“. . . and Bernie Sanders nipping at her toes.”
Front as guest
A talking head on MSNBC makes an awkward metaphor.
“Rocket surgery”
And other problem metaphors.
Sink redux
Kitchen sinks, 2008 and now.
Block that metaphor, or block that other metaphor
Tackle and dissecting.
Metaphors for writing
From Walter Benjamin.
“No Figures of Speech”
A student pointed out the words left behind on the blackboard.
When clichés collide
“There’s no free lunch at the end of the day.”
Bad metaphor of the day
“All sides of the political spectrum.”