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Some Further Examples

We have been claiming that metaphors partially structure our everyday concepts and that this structure is reflected in our literal language. Before we can get an overall picture of the philosophical implications of these claims, we need a few more examples. In each of the ones that follow we give a metaphor and a list of ordinary expressions that are spe­cial cases of the metaphor. The English expressions are of I two sorts: simple literal expressions and idioms that fit the metaphor and are part of the normal everyday way of talk­ing about the subject.

theories (and arguments) are buildings

Is that the foundation for your theory? The theory needs more support. The argument is shaky. We need some more facts or the argument will fall apart. We need to construct a strong argument for that. I haven't figured out yet what the form of the argument will be. Here are some more facts to shore up the theory. We need to buttress the theory with solid arguments. The theory will stand or fall on the strength of that argument. The argument collapsed. They exploded his latest theory. We will show that theory to be without foundation. So far we have put together only the framework of the theory.

IDEAS ARE FOOD

What he said left a bad taste in my mouth. All this paper has

in it are raw facts, half-baked ideas, and warmed-over theories. There are too many facts here for me to digest them , all. I just can't swallow that claim. That argument smells fishy. Let me stew over that for a while. Now there's a theory

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you can really sink your teeth into. We need to let that idea percolate for a while. That's food for thought. He's a voracious reader. We don't need to spoon-feed our students. He devoured the book. Let's let that idea simmer on the back burner for a while. This is the meaty part of the paper. Let that idea jell for a while. That idea has been fermenting for I years.

With respect to life and death ideas are organisms, either PEOPLE Or PLANTS.

IDEAS ARE PEOPLE

The theory of relativity gave birth to an enormous number of \ ideas in physics. He is the father of modern biology. Whose brainchild was that? Look at what his ideas have spawned. Those ideas died off in the Middle Ages. His ideas will live on forever. Cognitive psychology is still in its infancy. That's an idea that ought to be resurrected. Where'd you dig up that idea? He breathed new life into that idea.

IDEAS ARE PLANTS

His ideas have finally come to fruition. That idea died on the vine. That's a budding theory. It will take years for that idea to come to full flower. He views chemistry as a mere offshoot of physics. Mathematics has many branches. The seeds of his great ideas were planted in his youth. She has a fertile imagination. Here's an idea that I'd like to plant in your mind. He has a barren mind.

IDEAS ARE PRODUCTS

We're really turning (churning, cranking, grinding) out new ideas. We've generated a lot of ideas this week. He produces new ideas at an astounding rate. His intellectual productivity has decreased in recent years. We need to take the rough edges off that idea, hone it down, smooth it out. It's a rough idea; it needs to be refined.

IDEAS ARE COMMODITIES

It's important how you package your ideas. He won't buy that. That idea just won't sell. There is always a market for good ideas. That's a worthless idea. He's been a source of

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valuable ideas. 1 wouldn't give a plugged nickel/or that idea. Your ideas don't have a chance in the intellectual mar­ketplace.

IDEAS ARE RESOURCES

He ran out of ideas. Don't waste your thoughts on small projects. Let's pool our ideas. He's a resourceful man. We've used up all our ideas. That's a useless idea. That idea will go a long way.

IDEAS ARE MONEY

Let me put in my two cents' worth. He's rich in ideas. That book is a treasure trove of ideas. He has a wealth of ideas.

IDEAS ARE CUTTING INSTRUMENTS

That's an incisive idea. That cuts right to the heart of the matter. That was a cutting remark. He's sharp. He has a razor wit. He has a keen mind. She cut his argument to ribbons.

IDEAS ARE FASHIONS

That idea went out of style years ago. I hear sociobiology is in these days. Marxism is currently fashionable in western Europe. That idea is old hat! That's an outdated idea. What are the new trends in English criticism? Old-fashioned notions have no place in today's society. He keeps up-to-date by read­ing the New York Review of Books. Berkeley is a center of avant-garde thought. Semiotics has become quite chic. The idea of revolution is no longer in vogue in the United States. The transformational grammar craze hit the United States in the mid-sixties and has just made it to Europe.

UNDERSTANDING IS SEEING; IDEAS ARE LIGHT-SOURCES; DIS­COURSE IS A LIGHT-MEDIUM

I see what you're saying. It looks different from my point of view. What is your outlook on that? I view it differently. Now . I've got the whole picture. Let me point something out to you. That's an insightful idea. That was a brilliant remark. The argument is clear. It was a murky discussion. Could you elucidate your remarks? It's a transparent argument. The discussion was opaque.

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LOVE IS A PHYSICAL FORCE (ELECTROMAGNETIC, GRAVITA­TIONAL, etc.)

I could feel the electricity between us. There were sparks. I was magnetically drawn to her. They are uncontrollably at­tracted to each other. They gravitated to each other im­mediately. His whole life revolves around her. The atmo­sphere around them is always charged. There is incredible energy in their relationship. They lost their momentum.

LOVE IS A PATIENT

This is a sick relationship. They have a strong, healthy mar­riage. The marriage is dead---it can't be revived. Their mar­riage is on the mend. We're getting hack on our feet. Their relationship is in really good shape. They've got a listless marriage. Their marriage is on its last legs. It's a tired affair.

LOVE IS MADNESS

I'm crazy about her. She drives me out of my mind. He constantly raves about her. He's gone mad over her. I'm just wild about Harry. I'm insane about her.

LOVE IS MAGIC

She cast her spell over me. The magic is gone. I was spellbound. She had me hypnotized. He has me in a trance. I was entranced by him. I'm charmed by her. She is bewitch­ing.

love is war

He is known for his many rapid conquests. She fought for him, but his mistress won out. He fled from her advances. She pursued him relentlessly. He is slowly gaining ground with her. He won her hand in marriage. He overpowered her. She is besieged by suitors. He has to fend them off. He enlisted the aid of her friends. He made an ally of her mother. Theirs is a misalliance if I've ever seen one.

WEALTH IS A HIDDEN OBJECT

He's seeking his fortune. He's flaunting his new-found wealth. He's a fortune-hunter. She's a gold-digger. He lost his fortune. He's searching for wealth.

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SIGNIFICANT IS BIG

He's a big man in the garment industry. He's a giant among writers. That's the biggest idea to hit advertising in years. He's head mid shoulders above everyone in the industry. It was only a small crime. That was only a little white lie. I was astounded at the enormity of the crime. That was one of the greatest moments in World Series history. His accomplish­ments tower over those of lesser men.

SEEING IS TOUCHING; EYES ARE LIMBS

I can't take my eyes off her. He sits with his eyes glued to the TV. Her eyes picked out every detail of the pattern. Their eyes met. She never moves her eyes from his face. She ran her eyes over everything in the room. He wants everything within reach of his eyes.

THE EYES ARE CONTAINERS FOR THE EMOTIONS

I could see the fear in his eyes. His eyes were filled with anger. There was passion in her eyes. His eyes displayed his compassion. She couldn't get the fear out of her eyes. Love showed in his eyes. Her eyes welled with emotion.

EMOTIONAL EFFECT IS PHYSICAL CONTACT

His mother's death hit him hard. That idea howled me over. She's a knockout. I was struck by his sincerity. That really made an impression on me. He made his mark on the world. I was touched by his remark. That blew me away.

PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL STATES ARE ENTITIES WITHIN A PERSON

He has a pain his shoulder. Don't give me the flu. My cold has gone from my head to my chest. His pains went away. His depression returned. Hot tea and honey will get rid of your cough. He could barely contain his joy. The smile left his face. Wipe that sneer off your face, private! His fears keep coming back. I've got to shake off this depression---it keeps hanging on. If you've got a cold, drinking lots of tea will flush it out of your system. There isn't a trace of cow­ardice in him. He hasn't got an honest hone in his body.

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VITALITY IS A SUBSTANCE

She's brimming with vim and vigor. She's overflowing with vitality. He's devoid of energy. I don't have any energy left at the end of the day. I’m drained. That took a lot out of me.

LIFE IS A CONTAINER

I've had a full life. Life is empty for him. There's not much left for him in life. Her life is crammed with activities. Get the most out of life. His life contained a great deal of sorrow. Live your life to the fullest.

LIFE IS A GAMBLING GAME

I'll take my chances. The odds are against me. I've got an ace up my sleeve. He's holding all the aces. It's a toss-up. If you play your cards right, you can do it. He won big. He's a real loser. Where is he when the chips are down? That's my ace in the hole. He's bluffing. The president is playing it close to his vest. Let's up the ante. Maybe we need to sweeten the pot. I think we should stand pat. That's the luck of the draw. Those are high stakes.

In this last group of examples we have a collection of what are called "speech formulas," or "fixed-form expres­sions," or "phrasal lexical items." These function in many ways like single words, and the language has thousands of them. In the examples given, a set of such phrasal lexical items is coherently structured by a single metaphorical con­cept. Although each of them is an instance of the life is a gambling game metaphor, they are typically used to speak of life, not of gambling situations. They are normal ways of talking about life situations, just as using the word "construct" is a normal way of talking about theories. It is in this sense that we include them in what we have called literal expressions structured by metaphorical concepts. If you say "The odds are against us" or "We'll have to take our chances," you would not be viewed as speaking metaphorically but as using the normal everyday language appropriate to the situation. Nevertheless, your way of talking about, conceiving, and even experiencing your situ­ation would be metaphorically structured.