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Metaphor & Idiom Examples
Introduction to Linguistic Analysis (Ling 101)
MacEwan University
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METAPHOR – Up is GOOD // Down is BAD
Up is GOOD
- an elevated mood
- pick yourself back up
- to be on top of the world
- you’re right up there (within your field)
- top shelf
- glass ceiling (you may feel this is a ‘bad’ expression except that the negative idea
comes from being able to see the benefits enjoyed once you get above the ceiling, but
you can’t get past the ceiling to enjoy them!)
- “She’s so high above me, she’s so lovely...” song by Tal Bachman
- “You make me feel high ...” song Hope by the Chainsmokers
- I need some uppers
- she feels superior
- high and mighty
- high as a kite
- the height of one’s happiness
- to be morally upright
- you lift me up
- things are looking up
Down is BAD
- falling into a depression
- low mood/spirits
- my mood descended into the gutter
- lower in the ranks
- what a low-life
- hit rock bottom
- the bottom of the barrel
- drowning in a sea of grief
- words cut deeper than a knife
- the world came crashing down
- knock them down a peg or two
- dig your own grave
- dig yourself into a hole
- “... ‘cause you had me so low .. only seem tall because you stunted my growth”
song Hope by the Chainsmokers
- they feel inferior ( inferior comes from Latin inferus which means ‘lower’)
- put someone down
Down is BAD ... cont.
- I’m sinking ...
- at the bottom of the totem pole
- coming down off a high
- you’re going downstairs (i., to hell )
- to be let down by something
- the lowest of the low
- I’m down with this sickness
Counter-examples
- to be UP to something (negative) – although for the person performing that action, it is probably positive!
- to get DOWN with something (positive)
Other language examples:
Source Language Linguistic Units Meaning Spanish caer en depresión fall in depression
‘to fall into a depression’
Spanish los ánimos por el piso the moods by the floor
‘low spirits’ (down at floor level!)
Spanish estar decaído to be decayed (fr. Latin de- cadere ‘to fall)
‘to be down’
Mandarin bu bu gao sheng .... - high - up
‘the road goes up’ – you will have good fortune Mandarin ji xing goa zhao lucky – star – high - shine
‘your lucky star is shining high’ – you will have good fortune
Arabic ا فيه وقع لأخيه حفرة حفر من ‘dig a hole for your brother and fall
in’
German Stehaufmännchen
steh – auf – mann - chen
stand – up – man – dimin.
‘get up little man’ -- you can do it!
FARM ANIMALS
beating a dead horse 1859 going over and over something that is no longer relevant
hold your horses 1844 don’t get too excited about something
buffalo wings 1981 specific type of chicken wing (to eat)
when pigs fly 1835 never (since pigs will never fly)
BIRDS
birds of a feather flock together 1545 people stick with other people who are similar to them
a bird’s eye view 1771 looking down from above
kill two birds with one stone 1656 get two things done at once
quit cold turkey 1914 quit without special assistance or preparation
eyes like a hawk / watch someone like a hawk
?? really good at spotting small things
OTHER PETS
they were my guinea pig 1747 use someone to test something out
FISH
feeling like a fish out of water 1613 feeling out of place
WILD ANIMALS
the elephant in the room 1952 an issue obvious to everyone that no one wants to address
they’re off like a herd of turtles Grampa Jones 1955?
a group walking together but slowly
in like a lion , out like a lamb 1732 something starts tumultuously but ends calmly
INSECTS
they’re the bees’ knees 1922 they are excellent!
Average date of origin : 1810 Century with most: 1800s = 9 Median date of origin : 1844 1900s = 10
Idioms in Other Languages
Source Language
Linguistic Units Meaning
Afrikaans moonie die bobbejan agter die berg
?? - the – baboon – behind – the - mountain
gaan haal nie go - fetch - no
don’t tempt fate!
Romanian Oamenii se inteleg ca people - each other - understand – that si cainele cu pisica and - dog - with - cat
people understand each other like cats and dogs (so they don’t really understand each other!) Somali samara sad weyn hela patience brings a big share (e., patience pays off) Kabyle (Berber/Amizigh language spoken in Algeria)
Ibbass ithekahhal athyazit yabbit oufalkou
the only time a chicken decided to put
makeup on, she was taken away by the
falcon
something always spoils the fun
German die Katze im Sack kaufen
the – cat – in - sack - buy
let the cat out of the bag
Spanish El gato te comio la lengua?
the-cat-your-ate-the-tongue
has the cat got your tongue?
Dutch Dan vind je de hond in de pot
then-find-you-the-dog-in -the-pot
don’t be late or there won’t be anything left (as the dog gets the left-overs)
Metaphor & Idiom Examples
Course: Introduction to Linguistic Analysis (Ling 101)
University: MacEwan University
