(33) She annihilated him in the debate.
Metaphors are prevalent in everyday use of language. Usually, they do not occur haphazardly; the underlying basis for one metaphor is carried on in various expressions and used by different speakers. Take, for example, the time metaphor in English. For this type of metaphor, the abstract concept of time is treated as a concrete object of value which can be saved, wasted, or invested. The metaphorical sentences in (34) suggest that there is a tendency among English speakers to think of time as a commodity.
(34) a. It is a waste of time trying to change his mind.
b. He spent a lot of time writing this great novel.
c. Fixing this fax machine cost me more than an hour.
d. You should learn how to use your time more profitably.
e. The new plan will save us a lot of time.
Apparently there is no inherent similarity between time and valuable things such as gold or money. What brings these two concept together is the perception, based in part on culture and in part on the feelings shared by all speakers, that time is like a valuable object that can be gained and lost.
Constructed from a very similar perspective, the idea metaphor involves the treatment of the abstract concept of idea as a concrete object. This type of metaphor is based on the perception that the two concepts can be perceived by senses. Example of idea metaphors are given in (35)
(35) a. His explanation about the event smells odd to me.
b. I think I could grasp all the main points of her presentation.
c. It look me a while to see her point.
d. Your idea sounds very logical.
Another metaphor frequently found in everyday English is the spatial metaphor, which involves the use of words that are associated with spatial orientation to talk about psychological state. The sentences in (36) are spatial metaphors involving happiness and those in (37) are spatial metaphors involving unhappiness.
(36) a. I’m feeling up.
b. My spirits rose.
c. You’re in high spirits.
(37) a. I’m feeling down.
b. My spirits sank.
c. You’re in low these days.
Like the previous cases, there is no apparent similarity between psychological states and spatial orientation. Yet, the perception shared by language users helps bring these two concepts together. Unhappiness is often related to lethargy and inactivity, i.e., physically down; in contrast, happiness is often associated with energy and movement, i.e., physically up.
The basis of metaphorical use and interpretation involves the knowledge about words, their semantic properties, and also their combining powers that speakers possess. Therefore, the study of metaphors is a very clear illustration that concepts are interrelated in not only straightforward but also complicated ways. Moreover, the use of metaphors is also a good illustration of how creative language can be; language can be used in an unusual way to communicate the intended meaning.