# Illogical or contradictory metaphor pairs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606>\
**Category:** Thread Games\
**Created:** [September 15, 2022, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606 "2022-09-15T09:18:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606/1 "2022-09-15T09:18:04Z")

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A bomb is an explosive device. A blockbuster is colossal bomb, capable of demolishing an entire city block.

In film industry parlance, the term “bomb” is used metaphorically to describe a movie that fails at the box office. But contrary to expectation, a “blockbuster” movie isn’t a colossal failure, but rather a colossal success.

What other pairs of established metaphors are similarly illogical or contradictory? (Metaphorical terms only, please! No run-of-the-mill oxymorons, or non-metaphorical reversals such as “you drive on the parkway but park on the driveway”.)

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**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606/2 "2022-09-15T09:55:24Z")

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A bomb (or the bomb) can be good, too, though; the point being, it makes an impact.

In a similar vein, I suppose something (a motion) may be metaphorically tabled either to introduce it, or to get rid of it.

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**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606/3 "2022-09-15T22:10:00Z")

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> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> What other pairs of established metaphors are similarly illogical or contradictory?

You are shit vs You are shit hot vs You are a pile of steaming shit

Apparently things can go from good to bad in the time it takes a turd to cool from body temperature, unless that’s warmer than ambient temperature?

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**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606/4 "2022-09-16T01:21:11Z")

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> [@penultima\_thule](#):
>
> Apparently things can go from good to bad in the time it takes a turd to cool from body temperature, unless that’s warmer than ambient temperature?

I think it is more subtle: compare “You are shit” / “You are the shit.”

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**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606/5 "2022-09-16T01:35:11Z")

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In the linguo of finance, a rainy day is a bad day that drains your wealth but a rainmaker is a person who consistently brings in wealth (brings in wealthy clients).

~Max