A Metaphor is an “expression of an understanding of one concept in terms of
another concept, where there is some similarity or correlation between the two”
according to the LinguaLinks Library. Metaphors are used by anyone trying to convey an
idea in an indirect manner. We use them daily without realizing it. Metaphors put a twist
in daily language in that they are a unique way of describing a concept. There are
common metaphors that we use everyday and not so common ones which are used
specifically in some kind of field for example engineering. Since engineers usually work
as a team to accomplish a goal, they use metaphors to communicate with each other
exclusively.
Metaphors everyday
There are thousands of metaphors that are used almost unconsciously every day.
They are viewed as ways to encode different points of views in regular conversations. An
example of a common metaphor is “jumping for joy.” In order to understand this
metaphor, we have to look for the concept first. The concept is Joy or Happiness and the
action of jumping is used to convey the significance of joy. For example when a High
School student receives his/her acceptance letter from a university they applied to, they
get overwhelmed with happiness, so they “jump for joy.”
Another common metaphor is “you are the light in my life.” Here the concept is
life and the quality of life is signified by the word “light.” We abstractly view light as a
positive occurrence, so in this metaphor, someone or something is a positive influence in
the person’s life. This metaphor is used frequently between two people in a relationship.
Among the most common metaphors are ones that refer to our senses such as touch, taste, sight etc (Sensory Metaphors). For example in the metaphor previously used, light can be
referred to as a sight.
A common metaphor that is used occasionally, but one that is not as clear as the
subsequent ones is, “I was left saddled with the blame.” This metaphor claims that
responsibilities are Burdens, so if you are not responsible for your actions, then you are
the one to blame and your responsibility is no longer a burden. One can put this metaphor
in contrast to a student in college. Students are responsible for doing homework and
investing time studying in order to complete their college education. Their education is a
burden because a degree is a load carried with someone that helps in discovering a dream
job for instance.
Engineering Metaphors
In Engineering, metaphors facilitate the communication process. “Out of phase” is
an informal phrase that can be used in various contexts. The origin of this phrase comes
from the misalignment of the parts of one mechanical or electrical cycle with another
(The Engineer). For things to work simultaneously, they have to be in phase. When they
are out of phase, the parts tend to not be conforming to each other. Since many engineers
work as a team, each part of the team must be in phase to complete a specific project. A
lead engineer may say “let’s not get out of phase with our objectives” to the other
engineers. He is trying to convey to the engineers the importance of working together in
order to reach a goal. The engineers have to conform collectively within the team to have
a chance of being successful and fulfill their purpose. This metaphor is used widely in the
engineering field and is extremely effective because it describes the concept of
togetherness.
A sparingly used metaphor in the engineering field is “equilibrium.” Equilibrium
is defined to be the steady state in a certain condition. It can be referred to as
psychological poise (The Engineer). The source of this metaphor originated in the world
of fluid mechanics. In fluid mechanics, something is said to have equilibrium when all
the forces effectively cancel each other out. Engineers use this term to refer to anything
that is steady or balanced. It can also be used to describe the poise a person has.
Engineers must have great poise in what they do, so “equilibrium” is much needed in the
engineering profession. This metaphor is very helpful to engineers. Since it originated as
an engineering phrase in the study of fluid mechanics, it is still used in the work place.
That brings up a metaphor that is hardly used. The “Big Wheel” originated from
large engines. They are the most important wheels that carry the power from one part of
the machine to another (The Engineer). In speech, “Big Wheel” describes someone
important. Like every company, there is a hierarchy in job position. In engineering for
example, there are managers, directors, CEO’s and owners that are termed the big wheel
because of their importance and significance to the company. These important people are
the driving force within the company. Because they are so important, they also have the
biggest responsibility within the company. The “big wheel” may be scrutinized heavily
for any wrong doings or bad judgments. So even though there is a pride in being the “big
wheel,” there is also a bigger responsibility.
Conclusion
Every metaphor has its origin. Metaphors grow to accommodate language in
everyday life and the work place. Engineers have a tendency to rely on metaphors as a
complex way of describing things. Metaphors put a twist to language as well. Metaphors
should be continued to be used in all professions including engineering. Engineers use
metaphors to communicate in groups, teams, and individually as well. One can never
underestimate the power of a metaphor.
Audience Analysis
The audience here can be any college student as well as students majoring in
engineering. People in the workplace may also see this essay as a helpful tool in
overcoming language in their profession. These people have a wide range of educational
background and are reading this to gain a better understanding of the benefits of
metaphors.
Works Cited
“The Engineer.” Metaphors at work. The helix press. 21 February 2007.
<http://www.metaphorsatwork.com/fs06.html>
“What is a metaphor?” Lingulinks. 5 January 2004. Version 5.0 CD-ROM.
21 February 2007.
<http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticterms/WhatIsAMetaphor.htm>
“Index of Metaphors.” Metaphors. UC-Berkeley: Cognitive Science. 21 February 2007.
<http://cogsci.berkeley.edu/lakoff/metaphors/>
“Examples of Sensory Metaphors.” Metaphor. Knowgramming.com. 21 February 2007
<http://knowgramming.com/metaphors/metaphor_chapters/metaphor_examples-
sensory.htm>
MLA FORMAT
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Construct one metaphor about five different things that describe any aspect of your life, such as someone you know, something you do, some place you have been, or anything else. Refer to Activity 7.1, located in Ch. 7 of Thinking, for examples on how to create metaphors.…
- 204 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
at a young age is something that would not have happened 50 years ago. They…
- 852 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
C. In between these two types of metaphors are metaphors which have lost “word power”…
- 969 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Write a four to five paragraph response to the two chapters from Lakoff and Johnson's book Metaphors
Metaphor is for most people device of the poetic imagination and the rhetorical flourish--a matter of extraordinary rather than ordinary language. Moreover, metaphor is typically viewed as characteristic of language alone, a matter of words rather than thought or action. For this reason, most people think they can get along perfectly well without metaphor. We have found,on the contrary, that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action. Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature.…
- 3927 Words
- 16 Pages
Good Essays -
At various places in the book the phrase encompasses the terms similarity, metaphor, analogy, abstraction, model, illustration, figure, hypothesis, theory and even mathematics, as well as literary terms such as simile, irony, trope, metonymy, and synecdoche. Brown asserts, for example, that observational data "can be related to models only through metaphors for interpreting the data." He also says that "Molecular models are metaphors because they represent a mapping from the domain of pictorial or three-dimensional model representation onto the domain of data from X ray diffraction and other experimental…
- 1046 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Metaphor: true and warming; safety and enduring; larger than life with the heart of a kitten.…
- 399 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The primary subject of the text "Metaphors We Live By," by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson is that metaphors have been adapted into our daily lives and they have become a part of society. They have the ability to help us understand and comprehend what is being described to us. The bottom line is that "Our ordinary conceptual system is metaphorical in nature." (1) We have found ways to describe how we identify, think, and react. Even though some metaphors are easier to point out then others, they are used multiple times throughout our day.…
- 532 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Example: “I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, who do what has to be done, again and again”…
- 475 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Use these corresponding elements to write up your metaphor. Four to Five Paragraphs. Submit on Schoology on Thursday, February 27th.…
- 3268 Words
- 14 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
A metaphor is the use of something familiar to understand something less familiar. For instance, if a news report says "unemployment went down this month," the familiar feeling of "going down" helps everyone to understand that the number of people looking for work has reduced.…
- 791 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
They are used in writing to get the reader focused on the topic without using logic. They are…
- 408 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
imagery - descriptive passages! figurative language, especially metaphors and similes (appeals to at least 1 of the 5 senses)…
- 483 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Metaphor provides us with a means to communicate visual message in a meaningful manner that helps to build understanding, awareness and familiarity. Metaphors array with people’s mental and successively provide a deep sense of connection with the information you are sharing with.…
- 85 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
4) Metaphor - compares two things by stating one is the other - The eyes are the windows of the soul.…
- 537 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
What is a metaphor? Metaphor (met-uh-fawr, -fer) a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance. In organizational behaviour, the metaphors help people understand all we need to know about an organization. Gareth Morgan proposed near in 80´s, the eight metaphors of organizations to explain the organization problems. The two most important metaphors he proposed, are the organizations as machines and the organizations as brains.…
- 824 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays