Big-league metaphors: the role of sports language in American politics
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Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining fellow Language Logger Barbara Partee on Josh Chetwynd's KGNU radio show, "The Real Deal in Sports." Josh is the author of The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors, and he spoke to Barbara and me about how the metaphorical language of sports pervades American politics (especially in the latest presidential campaign). We mulled over how those metaphors shape our political discourse, and callers joined in with their own thoughts. You can listen to the hourlong broadcast here.
Thorin said,
November 17, 2016 @ 3:07 pm
It's a lesson I learned from The West Wing.
KeithB said,
November 17, 2016 @ 6:30 pm
Sport's metaphors are safe. War metaphors can get you into trouble with the overly-literal.
Jason said,
November 17, 2016 @ 8:23 pm
Even sports metaphors couldn't save Reagan's Texas Supercollider. Or perhaps it sealed it: calling it "Throwing Deep" could have equally implied it was a "Hail Mary" or "Long Shot."