Monday, January 19, 2009

Metaphorically speaking is like speaking in metaphors.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you are headed into a metaphor and suddenly you don't have an ending and so it comes out really lame-o? Or have you read those emails that get forwarded that have lists of silly or bad metaphors from "real English exams ... compiled by AP English teachers"?

Phil and I were laughing about that this morning when he said "My dad buys and sells cars like ... um ... a guy who buys and sells cars a lot."

I followed up with spending the next half hour turning everything I said into a bad metaphor.

So, share your favorite BAD metaphor. Perhaps we'll select our favorite three and then put them on a poll for the rest of you to vote on and then we'll have a really great prize (read: VM CD or crocheted item or our next-born) for the winner.

*I recognize that all of the above examples are similes but I'll accept all forms of metaphor.

5 response(s):

Natalie-John+2 said...

I'm not sure about metaphor..but here are a few of my favorite unique sayings:
1. It left me hungry but not for more.
2. I don't want you to read my mind I just want you to use yours.
Sorry if that was not what you are looking for but it was fun to share :)

corrie said...

Brian came up with one yesterday. It has to do with cement mixing. They mixed a lot of cement when building his home in GA and his dad asked him one day why it was that you mix one bucket of sand, one bucket of rocks, one bucket of water and one bucket of cement powder and only come out with two buckets of cement? A lot of input and not as much result (or something like that.)Then he said "Unlike an apple seed." What? I guess something little eventually produces a ton of apples...
He equated it (somehow) to service and fulfilling your calling...I'm gonna have to ask him again how that exactly came about.
It makes sense when he tells it...

Amanda said...

You are so intellectual. How do you think of games like that? I'll be thinking for a week for a clever metaphor. Or simile. Or my brain will fry before then.

Laura said...

When Brian was 5 he loved the odor of Casey's brand new Cabbage Patch Doll. We still like to quote him at random times:

"You smell so good, you smell like dinner!"

(Can't wait to tease him about that when he is dating in about 10 years. Don't know if that'll work for a pick-up line or not.)

amy greenway said...

A few funnies come to mind. I have a very funny uncle who is always using metaphors and always screwing them up. So I grew up learning a BUNCH of metaphors completely incorrectly. The first example that comes to mind is "Shaking like a leaf" and "Sweating like a pig" (yeah, I know they don't sweat...) He always said "Sweating like a leaf" and "Shaking like a pig". Thanks to him I'll never get a metaphor or simile right.

Another funny, I read Amandas comment and it reminded me of when Nate was just a little older than Eden. He loved my perfume and always said "mommy, you smell like a fwower (flower)." One day he got up early and came to snuggle in bed with us. As I talked to him in close proximity the morning breath must have been too much. He said very sweetly "mommy, you smell like a dead fwower."