Jump to content

Recommended Posts

'outside your comfort-zone' I hate this because it suggests to me that if I don't try it I'm some sort of coward or stick-in-the-mud. Also, I hate 'pro-active' but I think it was because years ago someone who was really annoying used it and I kind of felt that to be pro-active you had to be able to deal with something before it had happened.

I think you'll find most of us played rounders at school ;)


To be fair we all use hundreds of phrases where the origins are lost, obscure or misunderstood. I don't think you need to be an active participant in something to be able to analogise or use its terminology.


Although I rather liked the exchange in Episodes this week where Matt le blanc says:

- come on take it, it's a chick magnet


and MAngan's character looks slighlty nonplussed and says

-really, does anyone still use 'chick magnet'

(MLB pauses a moment)

-huh? Yeah ... I think they do. We still use it here anyway.


Made me chuckle anyway.

Ms B Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The whole nine yards, major league, out of the

> ballpark, touch base etc, especially when used by

> UK managers who don't even play the game in

> question. Just silly.



You forgot 'getting to first base' 'rain check' 'hardball' 'right off the bat' 'out of left field' 'touch base' 'step up to the plate' 'strike out' and 'a whole new ball game'.



(incidentally the whole 9 yards has a confused origin - not sporting - as do the alternatives 'whole ball of wax' and 'whole enchilada' or 'the whole shebang' - all indeed as uncertain in their origins as the English equivalent of 'the full monty').


Perhaps we should stick to cricket terms - 'all rounder', 'on the front foot', 'bowled a googly' 'hit for six' etc.

To be honest, I'm not keen on any sporting terms used metaphorically. Unless you're familiar with that particular sport they're not very successful as metaphors, plus as sport is very gendered (in cultural terms) they tend to alienate women in the audience too. So there.


Bound to offend someone, but if you can't say it in plain English you probably don't have anything to say in the first place...

Huguenot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Plain english is very overrated.

>

> Whither then the nuance, the elegance, the bloom

> of a creative metaphor?


Creative use of metaphors is great - arguably all language is metaphor anyway, so perhaps it's a false opposition - but we're talking buzzwords here.

Ms B Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Huguenot Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Plain english is very overrated.

> >

> > Whither then the nuance, the elegance, the

> bloom

> > of a creative metaphor?

>

> Creative use of metaphors is great - arguably all

> language is metaphor anyway, so perhaps it's a

> false opposition - but we're talking buzzwords

> here.



Exactly



Get with the programme



Netts:-S

Annette Curtain Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ms B Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Huguenot Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Plain english is very overrated.

> > >

> > > Whither then the nuance, the elegance, the

> > bloom

> > > of a creative metaphor?

> >

> > Creative use of metaphors is great - arguably

> all

> > language is metaphor anyway, so perhaps it's a

> > false opposition - but we're talking buzzwords

> > here.

>

>

> Exactly

>

>

> Get with the programme

>

>

> Netts:-S


Can't. It's being up-cycled, reused and repurposed.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • The problem with delivery people nowadays is that they are on such a restrictive schedule that they literally have to just try to deliver and run, otherwise they are penalised. I understand the frustration though.   And good luck making any kind of complaint to Evri. I once sold a laptop on ebay, took it to the Evri pick-up, where it was processed and it then went 'missing' between their pick-up place and the hub. Went through a long, long process where they offered me a desultory amount in compensation and I had to take them to small claims court before they came up with a fair offer the day before we were due to be in court. Long story short, Evri are shite.   Go to look at this forum for the number of people who have issues: https://nationalconsumerservice.co.uk/forum/183-postal-and-delivery-services/
    • I haven't had a rude EVRI delivery but last week I had an unexpected delivery at 10.42 pm. He didn't ring the bell or knock on the door (or rattle the letter flap) but just took a photo and put the box down.  If it hadnt been for the door camera giving us a beep we would never have known there was a parcel ready to sit there all night.  
    • Sorry if I’m being slow but there’s no point in having a gate then is there?  Would have thought it was basic manners to respect someone’s property 
    • I didn't say wedge it "slightly" open. I meant to wedge it fully open. 
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...