Mom loves language. Which figures, since she studies it so diligently :-P. One of the things that excite her most is metaphors. Human language is full of it. In fact, it is impossible for humans to talk without metaphors.
What's most interesting, though, is the *choice* of metaphors. Different people, different languages... Why do people choose one way of saying things over another?
Consider the following example in which mom talks about her experience in writing her thesis. (note: mom has a long history of tooth problems and her interlocutor is a male friend, married and father of two):
Mom: "I submitted my second draft last Monday. It was awful. It took me hours to write a single paragraph. I'm telling you, it was like pulling teeth".
Friend: "I'm sorry to hear your draft writing was like a difficult birth".
Me: no comment. Slurps to mom to show my sympathy.
This is not an official Department of State website, and the views and information presented are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the Department of State. Remember folks, I am just a dog!
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