Metaphor ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

UNIT 6

Metaphor

When we speak metaphorically, we use words in a non-literal sense. For example, when we say a writer casts light on a situation, we mean that the writer helps us understand it more clearly, in the same way that putting a light on in a dark room helps us see more clearly.
A	Metaphors based on the body collocation example meaning face (up to) the facts You’re never going to run in the Olympics. It’s time you faced (up to) the facts. accepted reality shoulder the blame Although others were also responsible for the problem, Alice decided to shoulder the blame. take responsibility for something bad foot the bill Choose what you like from the menu – the company is footing the bill. paying head a team Jo heads a team working on crime prevention. leads a project group keep someone on their toes Having three sons under the age of five keeps Jana on her toes. makes her stay active and concentrated have an eye for Gina has an eye for detail, so ask her to check the report. is good at noticing go hand in hand with Unemployment goes hand in hand with social unrest. happens at the same time or as a result o
B	Metaphors based on weight Heavy can be used to mean serious or difficult, as in heavy responsibility. A heavy burden can be either something heavy to carry or a difficult responsibility to deal with, while a heavy book can be either one that weighs a lot or one with difficult content. A weighty tome, however, would only be used to mean a book with difficult content. Similarly in weighty matters or weighty problems, weighty means difficult and serious. Light, the opposite of heavy, can also be used metaphorically to mean carefree or lacking in seriousness. So light reading is reading material that is not serious. If you do something with a light heart, you feel carefree and happy. If someone has a slim chance of doing something, there is a chance, but it is small. Fat chance (very informal) means almost no chance.
C	Metaphors based on movement James did a lot of partying in his final year and ran into difficulties with his course. His father was hopping mad1 when he only just managed to get his degree. However, when he left university he walked straight into a job2 in an excellent company. Some people jumped to the conclusion that this was because he’d started going out with the managing director’s daughter. His mother worried that, if their relationship hit the rocks3, he would run into trouble at work too. 1 (informal) extremely angry   2 got a job very easily 3 ended (metaphor based on a boat being destroyed on rocks)

EXERCISES

6.1	Rewrite the underlined part of each sentence using a metaphor from A. 1 The presidential visit meant no one had time to relax. 2 Rosetta took full responsibility for the failure of the project. 3 I don’t think Greg will ever win Rosie’s heart; it’s time he accepted that. 4 The company had done so well that year that it agreed to pay for a staff night out. 5 I’m glad I’m not in charge of this team. 6 Eva is very good at finding a bargain.
6.2	Answer these questions about the metaphors on the opposite page. 1 What usually goes hand in hand with inflation: an increase or a decrease in savings? 2 If a relationship hits the rocks, is it the end or the beginning of that relationship? 3 If you say that someone is hopping mad, do you mean that they are good at athletics or that they are very angry? 4 If you run into difficulties or trouble, does that mean that they happen quickly? 5 Would you be more likely to call a magazine article featuring gossip about celebrities light reading or a weighty tome? 6 If you talk about facing the facts, are the facts more likely to be pleasant or unpleasant?
6.3	Explain the difference in meaning between the sentences in each pair. 1a Jess walked into a well-paid job in the City.              1b Jess got a well-paid job in the City. 2a Rafael is heading the project team.                            2b Rafael is backing the project team. 3a Dad jumped to the wrong conclusion.                    3b Dad came to the wrong conclusion. 4a Jan left the room with a light heart.                       4b Jan left the room with a heavy heart. 5a Fat chance I’ve got of winning!                              5b I’ve got a slim chance of winning.
6.4	Choose the correct collocation. 1 Kieran’s constant whistling is riding / getting / driving me crazy. 2 Sylvia is a first-class designer as she has a good eye / nose / hand for detail. 3 You mustn’t shoulder the heavy weight / burden / task of redecorating the house all by yourself. 4 There is just a thin / slim / skinny chance that Marek might pop in today. 5 The committee has some fat / weighty / heavy matters to discuss on today’s agenda. 6 When the results came out, Marco was thrilled to see his name footing / facing / heading the list of successful candidates.
6.5	Explain what the play on words is based on in each of these headlines. Tip You may find it useful to draw little pictures in your vocabulary notebook – or imagine them in your mind – to help you remember some collocations.

ANSWER KEY

6.1 1 The presidential visit kept everyone on their toes. 2 Rosetta shouldered the blame for the failure of the project. 3 I don’t think Greg will ever win Rosie’s heart; it’s time he faced the facts. 4 The company had done so well that year that it agreed to foot the bill for a staff night out. 5 I’m glad I’m not heading this team. 6 Eva has an eye for a bargain. 6.2 1 A decrease in savings is likely to go hand in hand with inflation as people will have less money available for saving. 2 If a relationship hits the rocks, it is the end of that relationship. 3 If you say someone is hopping mad, you mean that they are very angry. 4 No, not necessarily. If you run into difficulties or trouble, it just means that you encounter them or have them. The verb run here doesn’t have any associations with speed. 5 You’d call a magazine dealing with celebrity gossip light reading. The collocation ‘a weighty tome’ would only be used to refer to a book that is long and has difficult content – unless it is being used ironically, of course. So you might joke to a friend who is reading a celebrity magazine, ‘I can see you’re reading your usual weighty tome!’ 6 If you talk about facing the facts, the facts are likely to be unpleasant. 6.3 6.4 1 driving 2 eye 3 burden 4 slim 5 weighty 6 heading 8.5 1 The metaphor here is based on the word run. An athlete literally runs in a race. But if he metaphorically runs into trouble, that simply means that he has a problem. The problem might not be connected with running in any way. 2 The metaphor is based on the connection between being fat and dieting. Diet pills are intended to help people lose weight but if they have a fat chance of success, they are unlikely to succeed. 3 The play on words is based on the idea of ballet dancers literally dancing on their toes and the figurative meaning of the expression keep someone on their toes, which is to keep someone energetic and concentrated. 4 The play on words connects the word foot, used here metaphorically to mean pay, with its literal meaning of the part of the body where we wear shoes. 5 The play on words is based on the fact that hop is a verb closely associated with the movement of rabbits (and frogs). The new legislation must be something that makes rabbit owners angry, e.g. a tax on owning rabbits.