Metaphor Field Test #2

The diagrams below represent a variety of natural and invented transportation and communication devices and diseases.

1) Provide examples of the meaning of each component below as it would pertain to a subject or subjects of your choice.

Examples: Management, Electrical, Computing, Traffic Engineering.

2) Using a combination of two or more components, build a functioning series of events (metaphor template) and matching explanation in any two parallel subjects. Remember that the same component may be placed in the circuit more than once, and may have a reversible function.

Example:

a) Travel: They decided to split up; some would go along the road only to find a dead end, while the others would wait around for a while at the car.
b) Electronics: The circuit runs into a splitter, with one conductor leading to a terminal and the other directly to a capacitor.

...A -- D

"Electronics is the controlled travel of electrons."

3) Identify a few widely-used metaphoric phrases that prove the acceptance of your metaphor template in your language.

Example Management - "We wanted to temporarily hold off (G) on the news release (I), but once word got out through a leak (Z-1), we initiated damage control (Z-2), and got a court order preventing further leaks (W-2) from those channels (A) responsible."

4) Some materials, such as cream, are separated through a process of "floatation", where the desired material floats to the top, then is poured off or drawn away; hence "the cream of the crop" is used to describe the best, and the "dregs" is used to describe the worst. Assuming that "top" means "good" or "best", and "bottom" means "bad" or "worst", show situations in society where:

a) The top people are pulled aside.
b) The bottom people are pulled aside.
c) Only the top people are allowed through.
d) The bottom people are pushed through.

Examples: a) an honor roll, Police Commendation; b) The Gong Show, traffic stop by police, Survivor, some dance competitions, quality control; c) dress code, American Idol, the Olympic Games, "members only"; d) the accused in the criminal justice system, failed student sent through summer school, emergency room protocol.

A growing resource for metaphor examples, essays, lessons and lists.

A Language of Metaphors Field Test #2