{"id":31596,"date":"2023-01-21T04:50:41","date_gmt":"2023-01-21T08:50:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/?p=31596"},"modified":"2023-02-27T12:02:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T16:02:58","slug":"dead-metaphors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors\/","title":{"rendered":"How to avoid dead metaphors"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Don\u2019t let zombies eat your readers\u2019 brains<\/h2>\n<p>Like humans, metaphors have life spans. They\u2019re born; they live full, productive lives; they grow old; they die. They\u2019d even stay dead, if we\u2019d let them.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31597\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31597\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"31597\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors\/dead-metaphors-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"dead-metaphors\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zombie attack!&lt;\/strong&gt; Don\u2019t fill your message with dead1 and dead2 metaphors.\u00a0&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/terrible-zombie-hands-dirty-mummy-theme-226861564&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Image by paradise studio&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-300x200.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors.png\" alt=\"Dead metaphors\" title=\"Dead metaphors\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31597 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors.png 450w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-300x200.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 450px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 450\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"31597\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors\/dead-metaphors-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"dead-metaphors\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zombie attack!&lt;\/strong&gt; Don\u2019t fill your message with dead1 and dead2 metaphors.\u00a0&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/terrible-zombie-hands-dirty-mummy-theme-226861564&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Image by paradise studio&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-300x200.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors.png\" alt=\"Dead metaphors\" title=\"Dead metaphors\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors.png 450w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31597\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Zombie attack!<\/strong> Don\u2019t fill your message with dead<sup>1<\/sup> and dead<sup>2<\/sup> metaphors.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/terrible-zombie-hands-dirty-mummy-theme-226861564\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Image by paradise studio<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But too often, writers drag these literary corpses around for so long, they start to really stink up our messages.<\/p>\n<p>One solution: Make sure you know the difference between novel, conventional, dead and dead<sup>2<\/sup> (that\u2019s really, really dead) metaphors. Researchers Brian F. Bowdle and Dedre Gentner explain it all to us in \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/groups.psych.northwestern.edu\/gentner\/papers\/BowdleGentner05.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Career of Metaphor<\/a>\u201d (PDF).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31602\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31602\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"31602\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors\/dead-metaphors-2-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2.png\" data-orig-size=\"533,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"dead-metaphors-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make mine novel&lt;\/strong&gt; Novel metaphors outperform all others.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2-300x169.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2.png\" alt=\"Novel metaphors\" width=\"533\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31602 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2.png 533w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2-300x169.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 533px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 533\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"31602\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors\/dead-metaphors-2-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2.png\" data-orig-size=\"533,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"dead-metaphors-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make mine novel&lt;\/strong&gt; Novel metaphors outperform all others.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2-300x169.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2.png\" alt=\"Novel metaphors\" width=\"533\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31602\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2.png 533w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dead-metaphors-2-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31602\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Make mine novel<\/strong> Novel metaphors outperform all others.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>1. Metaphors are born.<\/h3>\n<p>Metaphors are figures of speech. When they are born, they\u2019re called novel metaphors.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a novel metaphor:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Science is a glacier.<\/h5>\n<p>Readers understand the literal meaning of glacier: \u201ca large body of ice spreading outward over a land surface.\u201d And while we\u2019re not familiar with the metaphorical sense, we understand that it means something that \u201cprogresses slowly but steadily.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Readers take longer to process novel metaphors than any other kind. And that processing time pays off.<\/p>\n<p>Novel metaphors open new avenues of thought for readers. If love is a rose, for instance, could jealousy be a weed? That might help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2023\/01\/how-to-write-an-extended-metaphor\/\">extend your metaphor<\/a> throughout the body of your essay.<\/p>\n<h3>2. They live full, productive lives.<\/h3>\n<p>Metaphors in their prime are called conventional metaphors.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a conventional metaphor:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">A gene is a blueprint.<\/h5>\n<p>Readers understand the metaphorical meaning \u2014 \u201csomething that provides a plan\u201d \u2014 in part before they\u2019ve heard it before.<\/p>\n<p>Because of that familiarity, readers take less time processing conventional metaphors than novel ones.<\/p>\n<p>Conventional metaphors read more like comparisons or categorizations. For instance, if the sun is a tangerine, readers understand that both belong to groups of things that are round and things that are orange.<\/p>\n<p>However, categorical metaphors are less likely to generate semantic shifts or additional meanings. (And, like a tangerine, the sun makes a refreshing, healthy snack on a hot day \u2026)<\/p>\n<h3>3. They die.<\/h3>\n<p>Academics call dead metaphors dead<sup>1<\/sup> metaphors. Because of course they do.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a dead<sup>1<\/sup> metaphor:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">A university is a culture of knowledge.<\/h5>\n<p>Here, readers lose the literal meaning: We assume the word <em>culture<\/em> refers to a particular heritage or society.. But in fact, in this metaphor, <em>culture<\/em> refers to a bacteria culture, aka \u201ca preparation for growth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, because of overuse or time, neither of these meanings seem related to universities. (Overused metaphors: time is running out, flying off the handle, head over heels, max black.)<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s another word for dead<sup>1<\/sup> metaphors: clich\u00e9.<\/p>\n<h3>4. And they get really, really dead.<\/h3>\n<p>Then there are really, really dead metaphors \u2014 aka dead<sup>2<\/sup> metaphors.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a dead<sup>2<\/sup> metaphor:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">\u201cStar Wars\u201d was a blockbuster.<\/h5>\n<p>These historical metaphors have lost the meaning of the original metaphor altogether. Today, blockbuster seems to mean \u201canything that is highly successful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But back in the day, blockbuster referred to a bomb that could demolish an entire city block.<\/p>\n<p>Dead<sup>1<\/sup> and dead<sup>2<\/sup> metaphors don\u2019t give readers any new way to think about the topic. They take up space without adding meaning.<\/p>\n<h3>Write novel metaphors.<\/h3>\n<p>So which type of metaphor works best?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/revvingupreadership.com\/2023\/01\/what-makes-a-good-metaphor\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Two researchers reviewed 41 data-based studies<\/a> on the persuasiveness of metaphor published between 1952 and 2006. Then they analyzed the studies to determine what made metaphors more or less persuasive.<\/p>\n<p>Among their findings: More novel metaphors were more persuasive (effect size: .129) than conventional metaphors or clich\u00e9s (.008).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe uncovered only two instances out of 14 in which the use of metaphor might be detrimental to the goal of generating agreement with the message advocacy,\u201d the researchers says: putting the metaphor at the end of an argument and using clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t let literary zombies eat your readers\u2019 brains. Cut clich\u00e9s \u2014 and replace them with novel metaphors.<\/p>\n<p>___<\/p>\n<p>Sources: Brian F. Bowdle and Dedre Gentner, \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/groups.psych.northwestern.edu\/gentner\/papers\/BowdleGentner05.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Career of Metaphor<\/a>,\u201d <em>Psychological Review,<\/em> 2005, Vol. 112, No. 1, 19 3-216<\/p>\n<p>Pradeep Sopory and James Price Dillard, \u201cThe Persuasive Effects of Metaphor: A Meta-Analysis,\u201d Human Communication Research, January 2006<\/p>\n<div id='MC-AOS-MP' class='widgets_on_page wop_tiny1  wop_small1  wop_medium1  wop_large1  wop_wide1'>\n\t\t\t<ul><li id=\"custom_html-40\" class=\"widget_text widget widget_custom_html\"><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><a title=\"Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/writing-classes\/business-storytelling-training\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/storytelling-workshop.png\" alt=\"Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop\" title=\"Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" border=\"0\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 250px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 250\/250;float:left; text-align:left; margin: 0 auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 5px; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 18x; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; color: #FFFFFF; max-width:100%; max-height:100%;\" class=\"img-max lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/storytelling-workshop.png\" alt=\"Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop\" title=\"Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" border=\"0\" style=\"float:left; text-align:left; margin: 0 auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 5px; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 18x; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; color: #FFFFFF; max-width:100%; max-height:100%;\" class=\"img-max\"><\/noscript><\/a><h3>How can you tell better business stories?<\/h3>\r\n<p>Stories are so effective that Og Mandino, the late author of the bestselling <em>The Greatest Salesman in the World<\/em>, says, \u201cIf you have a point, find a story.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Learn to find, develop and write stories that engage readers\u2019 hearts and minds at <a title=\"Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/writing-classes\/business-storytelling-training\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Master the Art of Storytelling<\/strong><\/a>, our content-writing training workshop.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>There, you\u2019ll learn how to find the aha! moment that\u2019s the gateway to every anecdote. How to start an anecdote with a bang \u2014 instead of a whimper. And how to use \u201cthe most powerful form of human communication\u201d to grab attention, boost credibility, make messages more memorable and communicate better.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"btn btn--depth\" style=\"text-align: center;  margin: 10px 0 20px; width:100%;\"><a id=\"btnTT\" style=\"\" title=\"BOOK NOW\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/writing-classes\/business-storytelling-training\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-width=\"91\">BOOK NOW<\/a>\r\n<!-- [if mso]>\r\n<p style=\"line-height:0;margin:0;\"><v:roundrect xmlns:v=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/writing-classes\/business-storytelling-training\/\" style=\"width:153px\" arcsize=\"8%\" strokecolor=\"#D96237\" filled=\"t\"><v:fill type=\"gradient\" angle=\"180\" color=\"#f16522\" color2=\"#f16522\"><\/v:fill><v:textbox style=\"mso-fit-shape-to-text:t\" inset=\"0px,11px,0px,11px\"><center style=\"font-size:16px;line-height:24px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:sans-serif;font-weight:bold;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;mso-text-raise:4px\">BOOK NOW<\/center><\/v:textbox><\/v:roundrect><\/p>\r\n<![endif]--><\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><!-- widgets_on_page -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don\u2019t let zombies eat your readers\u2019 brains<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":31597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13085],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-31596","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-metaphor-cliches","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v23.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to avoid dead metaphors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Zombie attack! 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