Some deadly metaphors
'If Macbeth is superstitiously called by performers "the Scottish play" why is Verdi's opera Macbeth not known as "the Scottish opera"?'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It's been a long time since we had a visit from our wandering language expert, Dr Wordsmith. In fact, if I am not mistaken he has not been here since early September, when he was embarking on a nationwide tour to publicise his new anthology of common mistakes in English, aptly called These Kind of Things. But I am glad to say that he has turned up again in the office to carry on where he left off, ready as always to answer your queries on the way that the English language is developing.
All yours, Doc!
Dear Dr Wordsmith, I know you have been making a collection over the years of words that are only used in one context, and one alone. I am thinking of words such as "shrift", which one only encounters in the expression "give short shrift to". One never encounters the word "shrift" anywhere else.
Dr Wordsmith writes: Yes, yes, I know all this, you dolt. Get to the point!
Dear Dr Wordsmith, Yes, I'm sorry about that, I will get to the point. Well, just as nothing in this world is ever "corned" except beef, so it occurred to me the other day that it is also true that nothing is ever "corporal" except punishment. You never get the word "corporal" as an adjective except in "corporal punishment".
Dr Wordsmith writes: Have you actually got a question?
Dear Dr Wordsmith, No.
Dr Wordsmith writes: Well, has ANYONE got a proper question?
Dear Dr Wordsmith, Yes, I have! If Shakespeare's play Macbeth is superstitiously called by performers "the Scottish play" in order to avoid the use of the name of Macbeth, why is Verdi's opera Macbeth not known as "the Scottish opera"?
Dr Wordsmith writes: Because actors and opera singers have an essentially different attitude to their shows. Actors, however irresponsible, want it to go well. Singers, however serious, are usually bored with their opera and want it to go interestingly badly. Almost all opera people dream of ending their days by writing a book called 'Worst Opera Disasters'. So they are all willing to take the risk of calling it Macbeth, in the vague hope it will cause a catastrophe. Next, please.
Dear Dr Wordsmith, Why is Diet Coke called Diet Coke? The word "diet" suggests leaving something out. Diet Coke does not subtract anything sweet and sugary – it merely fails to add it in the first place.
Dr Wordsmith writes: I cannot answer that question. I never take the risk of offending any product whose sponsorship I may need in the future. Next!
Dear Dr Wordsmith, As we are on the verge of being dragged into a war by America, may I just register a small protest at the fact that so many apparently American metaphors involve images of death and dying?
Dr Wordsmith writes: How do you mean?
Dear Dr Wordsmith, Well, among the expressions we have inherited from the USA are "dead right" and "you kill me!" and "fatal attraction" and "death by chocolate", and many others, and all of these are referring to everyday things , and yet they are phrased in terms of sudden death. It suggests to me that the Americans have a love/hate thing about death which we don't.
Dr Wordsmith writes: Hmmmm... Got any more examples?
Dear Dr Wordsmith, Sure. The oddest thing is that they think of female beauty in terms of sudden death as well.
Dr Wordsmith writes: Get along with you! I challenge you to think of one metaphor for female beauty that involves the grave!
Dear Dr Wordsmith, All right. How about "drop-dead gorgeous"?
Dr Wordsmith writes: Pah. An aberration. Think of another.
Dear Dr Wordsmith, All right, how about "Beauty to die for"?
Dr Wordsmith writes, Good Lord. Perhaps you're right.
Dear Dr Wordsmith, And "un oeil assassin". And "femme fatale". And...
Dr Wordsmith writes: Hold on, hold on! That's not American! That's French!
Dear Dr Wordsmith, And don't forget that, even before the Americans called women "drop-dead gorgeous", they used metaphors which involved, if not death, at least the halfway stage to death, as when they called a pretty woman "a stunner", or a "knock-out"...
More of this tomorrow, I hope.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments