”It’s not Rocket Surgery”

October 23, 2024: It’s generally believed that language emerged around 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. As soon as we started talking, creating metaphors became part of the conversation.

Our prehistoric ancestors would have created metaphors from their interactions with their world: a raging river described as a swift, dangerous lion, the security of the clan symbolized by a cave bear protecting her cubs; mammoth hunters chasing mountains of fur. Metaphors help to convey simple, concrete, familiar imagery and a strong emotional response to the struggles and hazards of everyday life during the Ice Age.

It probably didn’t take long before there were mixed metaphors. These unintended linguistic creations are like random errors that happen when DNA replicates. Instead of leading to new species over time these linguistic errors may have pushed language into more  complex and nuanced way of communicating including our first inkling with humor. Most mix ups are nonsensical and thus dead on arrival, others retain some of the original meaning of  two phrases or cliches and would survive. In other  words,  they would  either “die on the  vine or live to fight another day”.  

Conversation is virtually impossible without the use of metaphors. But mixed metaphors? 

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.”

“Pull yourself up by the bootstraps before the fat lady sings.”

“It’s time to step up to the plate and face the music.”

“Don’t count your chickens before they’re all on the same page.”

“You’ve opened up a can of worms; now the ball’s in your court.”

“No one’s talking about the white elephant in the room.”

“She let the cat out of the bag when she jumped the gun.”

“He’s chasing his tail like a fish out of water.”

“You can’t make an omelette if you put all your eggs in one basket.”

“We’re all in the same boat, so don’t rock the apple cart.”

“He’s barking up the wrong tree without a paddle”

“The mortgage business is not rocket surgery”

Etc…