Humorous Metaphors

[Keith&Co.]

Surely "it's not rocket science" is the opposite of a metaphor?

Why? you're still comparing (whatever) to rocket science, just reversing the polarity.

A woman without a man is like a fish without steam powered earth moving equipment.
Still a metaphor, though the association is a negative one.

 

[C_Mucius_Scaevola]

Surely "it's not rocket science" is the opposite of a metaphor?

Why? you're still comparing (whatever) to rocket science, just reversing the polarity.

A woman without a man is like a fish without steam powered earth moving equipment.
Still a metaphor, though the association is a negative one.

But that's "a woman without a man is like a fish without steam powered earth moving equipment", not "a woman without a man isn't like a fish without steam powered earth moving equipment".
There should be a special name for such a negative metaphor. Even I can see that, and I'm no Einstein.

 

[Keith&Co.]

There should be a special name for such a negative metaphor.

Why? There's nothing different about the construction of the simile.
You're still creating a non-direct image in the mind of the listener to convey an idea by comparison.

The best i can see is that the 'like a fish without a tractor' simile could use a qualifier.
A satirical simile.
A tongue-in-cheek metaphor.
Sarcasm.
But it's still a metaphor/Simile.

If it needs a new word, i'll be a monkey's uncle.

 

[Elixir]

Is there an English major in the house?

Settle for a kernel?

 

[4321lynx]

Surely "it's not rocket science" is the opposite of a metaphor?

But I think "it's not rocket surgery probably is a metaphor.

 

[Atheos]

All this grammar talk is as boring as a twenty foot drill bit.

 

[Bronzeage]

Surely "it's not rocket science" is the opposite of a metaphor?

Why? you're still comparing (whatever) to rocket science, just reversing the polarity.

A woman without a man is like a fish without steam powered earth moving equipment.
Still a metaphor, though the association is a negative one.

Not a metaphor, never was, never will be.

 

[Keith&Co.]

A woman without a man is like a fish without steam powered earth moving equipment.

Not a metaphor, never was, never will be.

A simile is a subset of metaphor. The brute force, side by side type, linked by the use of specific words type of metaphor.

 

[Bronzeage]

A woman without a man is like a fish without steam powered earth moving equipment.

Not a metaphor, never was, never will be.

A simile is a subset of metaphor. The brute force, side by side type, linked by the use of specific words type of metaphor.

I'm not buying that.

 

[Keith&Co.]

'Kay.

 

[bilby]

I find it humorous that the word 'literally' has become a metaphor for 'metaphorically'

I am literally tickled pink about this.

 

[4321lynx]

A woman without a man is like a fish without steam powered earth moving equipment.

Not a metaphor, never was, never will be.

A simile is a subset of metaphor. The brute force, side by side type, linked by the use of specific words type of metaphor.

I'm not buying that.

Agreed.

Metaphors are most frequently compared with similes. The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th edition) explains the difference as:

a simile states that A is like B, a metaphor states that A is B or substitutes B for A.

Where a metaphor asserts the two objects in the comparison are identical on the point of comparison, a simile merely asserts a similarity. For this reason a metaphor is generally considered more forceful than a simile.

The metaphor category also contains these specialised types:

Allegory: An extended metaphor wherein a story illustrates an important attribute of the subject.
Catachresis: A mixed metaphor used by design and accident (a rhetorical fault).
Parable: An extended metaphor narrated as an anecdote illustrating and teaching such as in Aesop's fables, or Jesus' teaching method as told in the Bible.
Pun: Similar to a metaphor, a pun alludes to another term. However the main difference is that a pun is a frivolous allusion between two different things whereas a metaphor is a purposeful allusion between two different things.[6]

See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor

 

[Keith&Co.]

'Kay.

 

[Bronzeage]

I find it humorous that the word 'literally' has become a metaphor for 'metaphorically'

I am literally tickled pink about this.

It's much the same way decimated(to reduce by 10%) had become a synonym of devastated. I remember a newspaper headline about a plane which carried a football team crashed and killed all on board. The headline said the team was "decimated," which would have been a much better deal for them.

 

[Celldweller]

A variation of "beating a dead horse"-

"Let's put that ghost back in its grave." (Thank you Stephen King)

 

[Mageth]

I find it humorous that the word 'literally' has become a metaphor for 'metaphorically'

I am literally tickled pink about this.

It's much the same way decimated(to reduce by 10%) had become a synonym of devastated. I remember a newspaper headline about a plane which carried a football team crashed and killed all on board. The headline said the team was "decimated," which would have been a much better deal for them.

That horse left the barn long ago...

 

[Bronzeage]

I find it humorous that the word 'literally' has become a metaphor for 'metaphorically'

I am literally tickled pink about this.

It's much the same way decimated(to reduce by 10%) had become a synonym of devastated. I remember a newspaper headline about a plane which carried a football team crashed and killed all on board. The headline said the team was "decimated," which would have been a much better deal for them.

That horse left the barn long ago...

I remember my Freshman English instructor warning about dead metaphors, images which have become the literal meaning and lose their metaphorical meaning.

 

[Keith&Co.]

With apologies (heh) to Jeff Foxworthy:

If you violate the known laws of the universe, you might be a metaphor.

If history just flat proves you never happened, you might be a metaphor.

If you’re a moral that offends modern christains, you might be a metaphor.

If all translations of you make God to be a total dick, you might be a metaphor.

If you’re so farfetched even Hovind can’t jimmy up a defense, you might be a metaphor.

If you’re the only verse atheist protesters paint on their signs, you might be a metaphor.

If even the Westboros doesn’t take you literally, you might be a metaphor.

If you lend credibility to one of those weird, fringe religions, you might be a metaphor.

If someone tries to use you as a science fair topic and they can’t get it to work, you might be a metaphor.

If you don’t make any sense at all and the apologist just wishes everyone would forget you, you might be a metaphor.

 

[Atheos]

That list was as creative as a feller trying to figure out a way to kill a skeeter that landed on his gonads.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Ran across a similie from my Blackadder, Starfleet BUPERS fanfic: http://elephanticity.250x.com/oldhex/parody/trekadder4.html

BALDRICK: Whats wrong with a Klingon doctor, Mr. Blackadder?
BLACKADDER: Oh, nothing, it's just that getting medical attention from a well-trained Klingon doctor is about as effective as asking Doctor Josef Mengeles to perform a ritual Jewish circumcision with a rusty chainsaw.