Metaphors Can Provide a Visual Tapestry

• He is a wolf in cheap clothing.
• From now on, I am watching everything you do with a fine-tuned comb.
• It is time to grab the bull by the tail and look him in the eye.
• I would not be caught dead there with a ten-foot pole.
• It is time to step up to the plate and lay your cards on the table.
• He is burning the midnight oil from both ends.
• You can’t go in there cold turkey with egg on your face.
• We must get all our ducks on the same page.
• I am sweating like a bullet.

Other than making you wince or chuckle, what do you see wrong with the above statements? What is making you giggle at them? It is simple. They are all mixed metaphors and practically scream out to the educated reader that the author is not professional, or dare I say it, “dim as a burned-out lightbulb”! They make the reader chuckle, but not in a good way.

And for the record, all of the above are metaphors I have seen written down and collected over the years.

So What Exactly is a Metaphor?

Before we discuss why a “mixed” metaphor is bad, we need to define what a metaphor is. A metaphor is different from a simile and a cliché. Using metaphors is all great and good if done correctly, but often metaphors get so absorbed into our culture that it becomes easy to mix them. However, a good, beautifully written, and thought-out metaphor can enhance your writing exponentially.

A metaphor is a way of comparing two unrelated things to make your writing more vivid and memorable. It is a figure of speech containing an implied comparison in which a word or phrase usually used for one thing is applied to another. Using metaphors is all great and good if done correctly, but often metaphors get so absorbed into our culture that it becomes easy to mix them. Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage,” is a great metaphor making the point that the world we are all actors in the plays of our lives.

Other good examples of metaphors are:

He drowned in a sea of grief. This makes sense because “drowned” and “sea” go together, and you mind can understand the comparison of the emotion of grief to how a sea can be all encompassing. However, if you had mixed metaphors and stated, “He stumbled along on a sea of grief,” that makes no sense, even though you can, in a way, understand someone stumbling along in sorrow; but the comparison to the “sea” makes no sense.

She is fishing in troubled waters. Again, (another water metaphor!), this makes sense. If you stated, “she was shopping in troubled waters,” it would mean the same thing, but it would not make sense.

And you may have noticed in the first paragraph of this article, I used a metaphor referring to a writer as being “dim as a burned out light bulb.”

A Metaphor is NOT a Simile.

The big difference between a metaphor and simile is that a metaphor does not use the word “like.” Shakespeare did not say, the “world is like a stage.” If he had that would have been a simile, not a metaphor.

Using the examples above, you could say, “he is like a man drowning in a sea of grief,” or “she is a fish in troubled waters.” You must be careful with similes, however, in the same manner as you must be careful with mixed metaphors. “he is like a man singing in a sea of grief,” really does not make sense.

A Metaphor is Not a Cliché Either / Or Is It?

Also, keep in mind, a metaphor is not a cliche either, or is it? A reliance on cliches can easily lead to mixed metaphors.

• A diamond in the rough / Brave as a lion
• Every cloud has a silver lining / Everything that glitters is not gold.
• Sent a shiver down my spine / Heart-stopping fear.

Some common cliche’s:

• Brave as a lion in the rough.
• Every cloud is not gold.
• Sent heart-stopping fear down my spine.

Below are some examples of just how easy it is to make a mixed metaphor using everyday cliches.

Why is it So Bad to Mix Metaphors?

A mixed metaphor is quite simply bad form and unless done obviously and intentionally, makes your writing weak. When you combine two unrelated items together, especially when mixing up cliches, it can look forced at best, and at worst it appears silly and ridiculous. It SHOUTS poor writing.

Metaphors are extremely image-driven, and if those images do not make sense, they confuse and jar the reader. One great piece of advice I received when I was first starting out as a writer was when it came to metaphors, “if you can’t draw it, don’t write it.”

We all remember when President Obama referred to himself as a “green behind the ears senator.” The correct usage would have been “wet behind the ears.” No one is green behind the ears! The correct metaphor is “wet behind the ears” which refers to a new born baby. You would refer to a seedling just growing out of the ground as “green,” but you would never refer to a plant as having ears. That comment caused guffaws throughout the nation!

Another example is, “wake up and smell the coffee.” That makes complete sense, and the imagery leads you to know what the writer means. However, if someone written, “Open your eyes and smell the coffee on the wall” you would be wondering what on earth they were talking about! This is a mixed metaphor of “Wake up and smell the coffee” and “Open your eyes and see the writing on the wall.” Both metaphors mean the same thing, but when mixed, it is just nonsensical.

Can You Ever Mix Metaphors Intentionally?

Of course, you can. If you are writing dialogue for a character and the mixed metaphor fits the language that character would use, then by all means do it. You can also use mixed metaphors to inject a bit of humor you are your writing, if it is clear to your reader that it is what you are doing. One example might be to say, “We will burn that bridge when we come to it,” mixing the metaphors of “We will cross that bridge when we come to it,” and “Don’t burn your bridges.” In this instance, the metaphor would indicate the desire to push through and destroy any opposition. So, in this case, mixing the metaphor makes sense, but it must be done with thought. Most mixed metaphors are the result of not thinking.

Metaphors in and of themselves are amazingly effective writing tools. They are a way to use language to liven up your writing and provide strong imagery, but you must be careful and think about them when you use them. And use them sparingly. And be careful and cognizant when mixing them.

You do not want people laughing at your writing because of poorly placed mixed metaphors.

Originally published at https://vocal.media.