Sports
play to win, play by the rules, play fair, be a team player, be a good sport, be a poor loser, the best defense is a good offense, game of chance, level the playing field, target something: SPORTS metaphors are often applied to topics in BUSINESS, POLITICS or WAR especially.
Business
a business grows, one is building a business, we're watching the bottom line, being profit or customer driven, adding value, being lean and mean, getting a competitive advantage, taking out insurance, investing in something, something is money in the bank, we owe you, you're in debt to us, that will cost you, you earned it, balancing the books: BUSINESS metaphors are often applied to topics in POLITICS, SPORTS, WAR, and to personal life as well.
War
acceptable losses, acceptable risk, the war on---, collateral damage; some WAR metaphors move back out again to POLITICS, SPORTS, AND BUSINESS topics.
Technology and science
be a tool, be a machine, drive, roll, slide, chug, be a computer: online, offline, in default mode, up on the screen, download, bug, interface, experiment, test, evolve; also used in POLITICS, SPORTS, WAR, BUSINESS, as well as personal life.
American politics and political campaigns
whistle stop tour, all politics is local, Joe Six Pack, keep it simple, stupid, it's the economy, stupid, dance with the one that brung ya; more metaphors may be transferred onto this category than out it
American History
Don't Tread On Me, the New Deal, the New Frontier, the Great Society: these metaphors usually are applied in POLITICS.
Man and Nature
being a hunter, taming the wild/west or ---, sowing the seeds of progress, being man's best friend, being his trusty horse; re cows--don't try to understand 'em, just rope and throw and brand 'em ( from RAWHIDE): metaphors like this often used in POLITICS or BUSINESS. SEE HEALTH AND BODY for other nature metaphors.
Crime
mastermind, thug, henchmen, goon, robber, pirate, crook, thief, to get cement booties; also used in WAR, POLITICS and BUSINESS.
Religious models and terms
to have faith, going on a wing and a prayer, to be in or get to heaven, to practice good stewardship, to be a sin or to sin, to be evil, to go to hell, to forgive, to redeem, to renew: metaphors drawn from this category are used everywhere else.
Humanism and spirituality
to be experiencing personal growth, to be connected, to embrace all being: may be applied to formal RELIGIOUS contexts too.
Family
being or going home, being born, dying, being a brother, sister, father, mother: many from the FAMILY category often get used with RELIGIOUS or POLITICS topics.
Health, the body and food
being ill, healed, cured, getting a leg up, being head and shoulders above, getting fit, no pain, no gain, to be a tree, river, mountain, lake, animal, plant, or vegetable, what's cooking? If it's too hot, get out of the kitchen, being fried, . . . HEALTH metaphors get transferred to almost all other topics. See SLANG below for SEX.
Literature
as a source of names: all the world's a stage, it was pure poetry, my life is an open book, acting a part, taking a role, it was melodrama, a tragedy, a comedy, epic; as a source of quotes from plays, novels, biographies, poetry, epics, applied in new ways: "can't put new wine into old bottles," The Bible, Mathew 9:16, "dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return, Genesis 3:19;" birds of the same feather", Shakespeare, Henry V.;"the green-eyed monster," Othello; "the green fuse," Dylan Thomas, poem of that title, and so on. See Bibliography section p. 13 in this kit for a good source of such quotes.
Entertainment
as a source of names: it's a dance, carnival, circus, soap opera, dress rehearsal, to sing the same old song, to trumpet, to act out, to strike a familiar chord, to be a clown, boy toy, magician, puppet, riddle, puzzle, play hide and seek, musical chairs, to have a poker face; as a source of quotes from tv, movies, pop music, radio or the Web, applied in new ways: "Go ahead, make my day.," "We don't need no stinkin' badges., " "May the Force be with you!," "Beam me up, Scotty. . .," "Just the facts, ma'am,." "Make him an offer he can't refuse," and so on.
Comics, cartoons
being like the Roadrunner, or Denis the Menace, or Garfield, or Mickey Mouse and so on: used in personal conversation or literature and entertainment.
Slang, catch phrases, ad slogans, and brand names
don't go there, be cool, be hot, be retro, be "bad," no way, there's no free lunch, he's on the wrong track, Got Milk?; SEX: wham, bam, thank you, Ma'am, put a bun in the oven, gang bang. (Any new, printable or air mentionable candidates for this category? Send them to: <metaphorproject@earthlink.net>. Just remember, this kit fosters media work-keep it sort of clean.)
Susan C. Strong, Founder
The Metaphor Project
www.metaphorproject.org
tel. 925-254-7198
Post Office Box 892, Orinda, CA, 94563
fax 925-254-3304
e-mail:metaphorproject@earthlink.net