MIX YOUR METAPHORS

Your sixth-grade English teacher is not going to like what I’m about to say, so it’s a good thing you’re not in sixth grade anymore. Sometimes effective communication means breaking the rules. Why? Because when you break those rules, it makes people stop on what you’re saying and think. Here are some ways you can use mixed metaphors stop your audience (and get revenge on your mean old teacher while you’re at it):

1) “We’ll burn that bride when we come to it.” (Usually: “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”)
2) “It’s not exactly rocket surgery.” (Usually: “It’s not exactly rocket science.”)
3) “Hit the nail on the jackpot.” (Usually: “Hit the nail on the head or “Hit the jackpot.”)
4) “Rob Peter to pay the piper.” (Usually: “Rob Peter to pay Paul” or “It’s time to pay the Piper.”)
5) “It’s raining fish and frogs. (Usually: “It’s raining cats and dogs.”)

In each of these examples, your listener already knows what the cliched convention of these metaphors are. By using different terms, it makes them stop to think about what you’re really saying—which keeps them listening. You can also deepen the meaning when you mix the metaphor. There’s surely a different connotation happening between crossing a bridge and burning one!

Get more exciting communication tips in Your Self-Sabotage Survival Guide by Karen Berg. Read more here: tinyurl.com/y786t4ax