Althouse: There's a war on metaphors.

January 10, 2011

There's a war on metaphors.

And I am taking my stand as a dead-end resister!

64 comments:

Kirby Olson said...: You said dead. Oo-ee-oo.; 1/10/11, 1:40 PM
Peter Hoh said...: Will there be flame throwing? I realize that most of the time, I'm just shooting off at the mouth, but I'd like to bone up on the research before I . . . wait, there I go screwing up metaphors again.

Better regroup.; 1/10/11, 1:42 PM
holdfast said...: Interesting to see if this guy is on the level - possible motivation for the Pima Sheriff being such an asshat:

http://thechollajumps.wordpress.com/2011/01/09/jared-loughner-is-a-product-of-sheriff-dupniks-office/

Speaking of Pima, did anyone else immediately think of Johnny Cash's Ballad of Ira Hayes?; 1/10/11, 1:47 PM
rhhardin said...: Use metonymy when dealing with assholes.; 1/10/11, 1:48 PM
coketown said...: That's some pretty heated rhetoric, Professor. Im future, if there's anything less than fifteen degrees of separation between you and some incident of violence--up to and including second cousins of childhood friends of people commenting on your blog--there will be blood on your hands!; 1/10/11, 1:48 PM
Unknown said...: You go, girl!

(if I may call you that...)

WV "dedup" (no kidding); 1/10/11, 1:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Althouse, doesn't this all make you wonder about political stands that seemed so sensible to you in the 60s, 70s and 80s... in fact up to the internet era?

There were no independent news sources (or opinion sources) back in the day.

How do you think the Vietnam War, black nationalism, feminism, etc. would have fared had those issues faced serious fact checking and criticism? Perhaps even the Civil Rights movement might not have looked so one sided?

Those issues were mostly played out in the one-sided major news networks and almost entirely left-wing literary world.

Things might have been very different if independent fact checking and analysis had been as broadly disseminated as today?

For one, would Dylan have gotten away with the atrocious fabrications about Hurricane Carter?; 1/10/11, 1:51 PM
DADvocate said...: Shoot. I knew they would target this. We're in for quite a battle. Take to the trenches.; 1/10/11, 1:52 PM
R.L. Hunter said...: I was for the war on metaphors before I was against it; 1/10/11, 1:55 PM
Anonymous said...: Let the carpet bombing begin!; 1/10/11, 2:01 PM
Big Mike said...: Keep fighting the good fight!; 1/10/11, 2:03 PM
Leland said...: Are they running a trial balloon or are they planning to take this to the streets?; 1/10/11, 2:11 PM
Fen said...: I blame the Clnton War Room for radicalizing all the Libtards.; 1/10/11, 2:11 PM
campy said...: Should I bring a knife or a gun to the War on Metaphors?; 1/10/11, 2:13 PM
chickelit said...: It's already mired in quag.; 1/10/11, 2:14 PM
Anonymous said...: Althouse, you might want to read this:

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?singlepost=2350851; 1/10/11, 2:18 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Professor, didn't you start the war, or at least help it, with your note about the word "campaign"? Words can have more than one meaning. It badly stretches (please let me say that) the meaning and utility of the word "metaphor" to use it for every usage that doesn't perfectly match with the Indo-European root of the word in question.; 1/10/11, 2:18 PM
Peter Hoh said...: I surcame,
I saw,
I conquered.

It's how the West was won!; 1/10/11, 2:19 PM
R.L. Hunter said...: Will the military allow mixed metaphors? Or is DADT still in effect?; 1/10/11, 2:20 PM
Anonymous said...: Sorry, that reference was second hand.

Here's the source:

http://thechollajumps.wordpress.com/2011/01/09/jared-loughner-is-a-product-of-sheriff-dupniks-office/; 1/10/11, 2:21 PM
traditionalguy said...: Do you want to live forever!; 1/10/11, 2:27 PM
Anonymous said...: The post I reference tells this story. I suggest you read it first hand.

The writer alleges that Sheriff Dupnik had had considerable contact with the Loughner.

It further alleges that Loughner had made many death threats via phone, and that the Sheriff's department was well aware of this.

Further, the Sheriff's department assured those threatened that it had the matter under control.

Whether it matters, Loughner's mother was a county employee, and the article suggests in some way that the Sheriff was trying to protect the Loughner family.; 1/10/11, 2:30 PM
MadisonMan said...: Can there be a war on the war on metaphors?; 1/10/11, 2:31 PM
Anonymous said...: In other words, the story I posted suggests that Sherrif Dupnik fired off a pre-emptive strike (attacking the right) to try to fight off criticism of his own conduct.

A fascinating turn in the story, don't you think?; 1/10/11, 2:32 PM
Once written, twice... said...: Ann, it is not surprising that you are treating this tragic incident as just more red meat for your Althouse Hillbillies. pretty sick.; 1/10/11, 2:37 PM
Anonymous said...: If you've watched Sheriff Dupnik's interviews, you've got to wonder:

What in the hell is the head of the policy agency investigating this incident doing?

Dupniks started the "Republicans are to blame" screeching. In interview after interview, he's tried to lay the blame for this on Republicans.

He is in charge of investigating this incident. How does this conduct fit within his professional responsibilities?; 1/10/11, 2:41 PM
R.L. Hunter said...: Shoutingthomas

Two things
1) I hope its BS and everything that could have been done was.
2) If true I hope those responsible are held responsible and not just given a pass although I'm afraid that's what will happen.
Anyone who thinks the rhetoric is vicious now will not believe how hot things will get if #2 happens.; 1/10/11, 2:43 PM
Anonymous said...: Related post on Legal Insurrection.; 1/10/11, 2:43 PM
traditionalguy said...: Jay retread...Can you add any rational thoughts to the comments? Just throwing weak guilt at commenters who are engaged in an intelligent discussion is two bit religious legalism. Get a life.; 1/10/11, 2:44 PM
The Dude said...: Gunnery Sergeant Hartman would like to say a few words. He will not use any metaphors.

"..."; 1/10/11, 2:44 PM
Anonymous said...: The lack of response speaks for itself.

I'm as stunned as you are.

A Pima County Sheriff hatches this "Republicans really pulled the trigger" hysteria to cover his own ass?

Whew!

Hard to know how to respond to that, isn't it?; 1/10/11, 2:55 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: A war on metaphors?!?

Fuck - I've been hit!

Meeeeaaaaadddde!; 1/10/11, 2:57 PM
holdfast said...: Can there be a war on the war on metaphors?

Obviously not, as that would be too meta.; 1/10/11, 2:58 PM
holdfast said...: Gunnery Sergeant Hartman uses similes, not metaphors, to wit:

"Get up here, fatboy! Quickly! Move it up! Move it up, Pyle! Move it up! You climb obstacles like old people fuck. Do you know that, Private Pyle?"

He also implies things - though he does not infer:

"Holy dog shit. Texas? Only steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy. And you don't look much like a steer to me so that kinda narrows it down."; 1/10/11, 3:02 PM
Paddy O said...: "And I am taking my stand as a dead-end resister!"

Althouse, you da bomb!

A straight shooter, with no ax to grind!; 1/10/11, 3:07 PM
Irene said...: "Gunners" in law school.; 1/10/11, 3:07 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: ST,

Regarding how the 60s, etc., would've played out today:

Yea, it would've been a totally different world. The Vietnam War probably would've played itself out (as it should have) MLK woulda got busted for adultery with white girls, and feminism never would've got off the ground.

We would've had some remnants of the Civil Rights movement (it was an unstoppable train, being grassroots) but "Black Power" would never have happened. I can't see the cultural fragmentation we have today - too much water under the bridge - but it would've been different.

That's my take anyway.; 1/10/11, 3:08 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: This post is getting a lot of attention today.; 1/10/11, 3:25 PM
Joe said...: (The Crypto Jew)

You’re going to take some Flak over this thread, Althouse. I think you really ought to kill it.; 1/10/11, 3:25 PM
David said...: Dead enders? Why bring Rumsfeld into this.; 1/10/11, 3:27 PM
David said...: Furthermore, most metaphors I've met lately would be better off dead.; 1/10/11, 3:31 PM
Roger J. said...: Wait a minute--texas steers snd queers that was from officer and gentleman wasnt it Gunny Hartman was from full metal jacket; 1/10/11, 3:42 PM
tim maguire said...: So this went from tragedy to joke in...how long?

Thanks libs. We couldn't have done it without ya!; 1/10/11, 4:20 PM
ark said...: A dead-end resister. Is that one connected at only one of its terminals? If so, no current can flow through it, so it's useless.

[And yes, I do know how to spell resistor. I just couldn't resist the metaphor suggested by the homonym.]; 1/10/11, 4:35 PM
David said...: Crack sez: We would've had some remnants of the Civil Rights movement (it was an unstoppable train, being grassroots)

True. For every black "leader" there were 30 black kids you've never heard of since sitting in a lunch counter getting mustard poured on their heads, 47 (or so) sets of parents teaching their kids to stand proud, 200 little boys and girls risking a shit stomping to go to school, and three little white cracker kids saying "Mama, that colored kid ain't so bad." This was a great peoples movement and now you would think it invented by Dr. King, JFK and six white ministers from New England.; 1/10/11, 4:45 PM
SH said...: There are so many military related idioms there is no way to avoid using them... not to mention; many people don't even realize they're using them since it often isn't obvious the phrase was weapon / military related.

Anyway, this is the typical progressive bs… what might be more fun than arguing this on it’s merits would be to look up the meaning of a bunch of idioms; pick some really un PC ones… and search the writings for all the lefty hang wringers for them.

Example: "Ummm; you claim to be a feminist but I see here you wrote about a rule of thumb. Do you really think that kind of violence against women should be tolerated and we should just look the other way? What made you such a hater?"; 1/10/11, 5:00 PM
Anonymous said...: The good Sheriff has made doo doo on himself. This is the only fun thing to come out of this tragedy.; 1/10/11, 5:02 PM
Milwaukee said...: Man, I'm still struggling with vowels and consonants, so are way beyond me. However I do say this:

Death To Pronouns!
We Hates Them!; 1/10/11, 5:09 PM
SH said...: "Jay Retread said...
Ann, it is not surprising that you are treating this tragic incident as just more red meat for your Althouse Hillbillies. pretty sick."

Project much? Every leftist you can shake a stick at has taken to the airwaves to bombard us with the 'tea party anti government' meme had an effect on this guy party line. She mocks it but then we are the bad guys in this? Save it dude... spare us the sanctimonious bs..; 1/10/11, 5:18 PM
Quaestor said...: In the war on metaphors there are no postmodern deconstructionists in foxholes.; 1/10/11, 5:29 PM
Quaestor said...: ark wrote: A dead-end resister. Is that one connected at only one of its terminals? If so, no current can flow through it, so it's useless.

Back in the old coax thinLAN days there was something called a terminating resistor (I think I still have a few lying in the bottom of a drawer somewhere) That could be called a "dead-end resister," eh?; 1/10/11, 5:36 PM
Don M said...: We should get rid of military metaphors, lock, stock and barrel.; 1/10/11, 5:46 PM
AST said...: Have you been watching Twitter? There's huge number of tweets using the #newtone hashtag suggesting new terms to rid the world of those dangerous violent terms. My favorite came from Iowahawk: "I hugged a man in Reno, just to watch him smile."

I suggested that the party whips in Congress should be called "reminders."

Someone suggests that Target be renamed Walmart with Shoes.

Just in time, the NFL has done away with "Sudden Death" overtimes in the playoffs.

Attack stupidity with ridicule, or maybe that should be "reason with."; 1/10/11, 6:29 PM
AST said...: I'm against outlawing metaphors, but I'm in favor of euphemisms in certain cases.; 1/10/11, 6:37 PM
Anga2010 said...: A war against metaphors? I'm still fighting like mad against the similies!; 1/10/11, 6:37 PM
ken in tx said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/10/11, 6:41 PM
ken in tx said...: Here's a couple for you. Balls to the wall. It has nothing to do with sex. It means to push the throttle levers—which once had balls on the ends-- to the firewall, or all the way forward. Full speed in and aircraft. OTOH, joystick is another matter altogether--it is sexual. BTW, cockpit is not a sexual reference either. It refers to the configuration of fighter planes resembling the seating configuration of a cock fighting arena. Something that is no longer familiar to modern Americans—unless you go to Guam. Female pilots calling it the box office is however a sexual reference.; 1/10/11, 6:54 PM
Kirby Olson said...: If they bring a knife to a fight, we'll bring a spoon!; 1/10/11, 7:01 PM
Kirk Parker said...: Kirby,

Fork you.

;-); 1/10/11, 7:41 PM
BJM said...: Dupnik's going for the full Ginsberg.

“You smell that? Do you smell that? Nifong, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of Nifong in the morning.”; 1/10/11, 7:56 PM
Geekocrat said...: A.L. hasn't shown up yet.

Oh wait ... this requires a sense of humor.

Nevermind.; 1/10/11, 7:58 PM
Anonymous said...: I will fight to the last bit of hyperbolic rhetoric, vitriolic attack and profanity laced tirade. But everybody knew that.

Cordially,

Uncle J; 1/10/11, 8:28 PM
Kirk Parker said...: "Balls to the wall. It has nothing to do with sex."

Well, yes and no. You are absolutely correct about the derivation, but do you really think it would have caught on the way it did if it didn't hint at something else?; 1/10/11, 10:55 PM
yashu said...: On that note, with Professor Longhair, let's Ball the Wall.; 1/10/11, 11:56 PM