US Intelligence Agency to Compile Mountain of Metaphors

coondoggie writes "Researchers with the US Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity want to build a repository of metaphors. You read that right. Not just American/English metaphors mind you but those of Iranian Farsi, Mexican Spanish and Russian speakers. Why metaphors? 'Metaphors have been known since Aristotle as poetic or rhetorical devices that are unique, creative instances of language artistry (for example: The world is a stage; Time is money). Over the last 30 years, metaphors have been shown to be pervasive in everyday language and to reveal how people in a culture define and understand the world around them,' IARPA says."

Comments

Not enough really.

[Centurix]

What we need here is a database of really bad analogies. Keep it somewhere safe.

Imagine putting it in the locked glove compartment in a car.

Re:Not enough really.

[jheath314]

> What we need here is a database of really bad analogies.

Dude, what do you think slashdot is?

Re:Guess those researchers have been watching Trek

[somersault]

Don't you mean.. cunning linguists? I'd lick to see them try.