# I pit stupid metaphors! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 12, 2007, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466 "2007-07-12T05:36:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/21 "2007-07-12T13:38:55Z")
Let’s see . . . a toothless tiger has zero teeth. To have less (or fewer) teeth than a toothless tiger, the proposal would have to have . . . Oh my God! The proposal has _negative teeth_! ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/22 "2007-07-12T14:33:04Z")
Shaka. When the walls fell. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/23 "2007-07-12T14:48:46Z")
Tamak! The river Tamak, in winter! ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/24 "2007-07-12T14:49:17Z")
It is my opinion that, in fact, the proposal has less teeth than almost any animal without teeth. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/25 "2007-07-12T14:55:45Z")
Obviously, Reid is as confused as a Mormon Democrat. Oh, wait. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/26 "2007-07-12T15:21:13Z")
It could have been worse. The Senator could have done what lazy and sub-literate people do when they need to pump new life into an old metaphor: He could have added the word “literally”. “This proposal is literally a toothless tiger!” That would make for an interesting bill signing ceremony. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/27 "2007-07-12T15:36:50Z")
I burning your toothless tiger! ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/28 "2007-07-12T15:52:22Z")
When come back, bring tooth. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/29 "2007-07-12T16:12:20Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] A simile is a metaphor introduced by either the word “like” or the word “as.” [/QUOTE] This is what we’re all taught in school (except when we’re incorrectly taught that a simile isn’t a metaphor at all), but the OP’s example is a simile, too. Similes are a specialized metaphor involving comparison. The most common comparison words are “like” and “as,” but “than” is one too. So, “Less teeth than a toothless tiger” is an ungrammatical, unmathematical (it has a negative number of teeth?), and unbelievably stupid simile. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/30 "2007-07-12T16:43:24Z")
[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy] When come back, bring tooth. [/QUOTE] You can’t handle the tooth. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/31 "2007-07-12T16:49:42Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] I’d like to have a tape recorder on YOUR mouth 24-hours a day… [/QUOTE] And if **Leaper** were a public figure who would knock over his invalid mother to get in front of a microphone and a camera, I’d back you up on that. People say dumb things. It’s just most of us aren’t being shown on CNN when we say it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/32 "2007-07-12T16:50:10Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] You can’t handle the tooth. [/QUOTE] The tooth! Remember the tooth! The tooth…the tooth…the tooth… ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/33 "2007-07-12T16:50:21Z")
This thread went well. I do see the point of the OP, but there is no way I am jumping into this one. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/34 "2007-07-12T16:58:39Z")
We used to have a poster named **The Tooth**. I wonder if this thread will smoke him out? Aw, c’mon, **Sapo**. The water’s fine! ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/35 "2007-07-12T17:26:36Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Aw, c’mon, **Sapo**. The water’s fine! [/QUOTE] Fine for the piranhas with more teeth that a toothless piranha ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/36 "2007-07-12T17:49:53Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] We used to have a poster named **The Tooth**. I wonder if this thread will smoke him out? [/QUOTE] Don’t we have a poster named **gum**? But I agree, so few people can articulte ideas so… pizazzedly. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/37 "2007-07-12T19:00:50Z")
How about: “The proposal has less (fewer) teeth than my denture-wearing grandma.” ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/38 "2007-07-12T19:12:55Z")
Denture wish there were more threads like this? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/39 "2007-07-12T20:16:10Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] I’d like to have a tape recorder on YOUR mouth 24-hours a day… [/QUOTE] _Tu quoque_ much? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466/40 "2007-07-12T20:43:15Z")
Actually, Reid was wrong. The proposal did have _one_ tooth in it. Since it destroyed his metaphor, this could be described as . . . all together now . . . . . . An Inconvenient Tooth! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stupid-metaphors/411466.md?page=3)