Tag Archives: metaphor

Force it Down Mid- Verbal Folklore/Slang

Text:

Informant: “Its from League of Legends, I’ve never played the game before but I’ve heard people say it before and I know how the game works. I know its played on a field that has three lanes, top, middle, and bottom lane. And the middle lane is the most contested, so to ‘force it down mid’ means to be stubborn and tunnel vision and push it down without any worry about challenges. So you’d say it if you need to persevere through something challenging.”

Context:

The informant learned this expression through online gaming culture and conversations with friends who play League of Legends.

Analysis:

Like much of verbal folklore and especially for slang, this example relies on shared knowledge within a folk group. In this case, player’s of the game League of Legends, or people in the gaming sphere. It also functions as a folk metaphor and can be used in everyday situations. The “mid lane” becoming a metaphor for a challenge, and “forcing it” implying stubborn determination. This reflects the growing influence of internet and gaming culture, where inside references circulate rapidly among online communities and spread into everyday conversations.

Conservation of Evil

Text: Below is a interview about a folk metaphor, conservation of evil.

Interviewer: Are there any sayings for groups you’re a part of?

Interviewee: Yeah, so, uh, in the physics community, when we find ourselves trying to solve a very difficult problem, and we make, let’s say, an approximation or, we apply some technique to make it easier, it turns out that that just doesn’t make the problem easier. It just shifts the difficulty to later, and, uh, we, that’s what we call the conservation of evil, and it kind of comes from, like uh, you know in physics there’s like a, conservation laws, conservation of energy, conservation of momentum, and stuff like that, and that’s just a fun play on how the problem is still as difficult as it was before, you just shifted it to somewhere else.

Context:

The interviewee is a college Senior who is studying physics. He was asked about any folk speech he knew from any academic folk groups he was in. He thought for a bit, then remembered the above folk speech. He uses the folk speech to describe to his classmates physics problems that are hard no matter what technique is applied to them.

Analysis:

The folk speech demonstrates the experience of solving a hard physics problem. While a student may use laws of physics to try to simplify the problem, there are many unlabeled aspects of questions that relate to the experience of working on a hard problem. Therefore, folk speech and jargon is necessary to explain the characteristics of the problem. This folk speech also exists as an example of moralizing physics problems. The physics problem is difficult to solve, therefore it is labeled evil. The expression also holds wisdom that is more generalizable to more areas than just physics problems. Some issues are difficult, no matter how they are repositioned.

“It’s brick outside”

Text

In New York City, locals have a slang they commonly use, where they say “it’s brick outside”, which is used to describe the weather as cold. From the informant’s understanding, it came from the idea that during winter, the bricks of many New York homes (since brick townhouses are common in the city) get very cold due to the fact that they have little to no base insulation. As such, the slang is drawing a comparison to say that the general feeling of being cold is similar to touching a cold brick.

Context

The informant is 21 year old USC student pursuing a double major in finance & accounting, and East Asian languages and culture. He is a NY local born and raised, and says that the slang was just something he picked up naturally from living there. I had recently seen a video of New Yorkers and noticed their distinct accent and slang, and asked the informant if he would be open to sharing any New York slang he used.

Analysis

Among the many New York slangs that exist, “brick” stands out to me for its folkloric and regional significance. The origin of “brick” being based on the regional climate of New York and city’s distinct architecture of brick townhouses makes it a perfect representation of the city’s defining characteristics. Additionally, the fact that the informant picked up the slang naturally from living in the city shows the slang has been integrated within the city seamlessly, and is another example of how folk speech can be passed on informally and become a part of everyday routine.

To add, when considering that this slang is essentially a metaphor that compares the weather to how cold bricks get, the way this slang is used in simple, short phrases (i.e “it’s brick outside”) rather than longer simile-like phrases (i.e “it’s as cold as a brick outside”) also demonstrates New York culture, in my opinion. In such a crowded and bustling city like New York, locals are often known to be very fast talkers and this slang and how it is used in sentences match the fast-paced culture of the city.

It’s Not Rocket Science

Nationality: American
Age: 46
Occupation: Ares Management Partner
Residence: Cleveland, OH, USA
Language: English

Text:

This phrase “means it’s not complicated”. It’s used in sentences to reassure people or to tell people they’re being stupid in a nicer way. The tone is either calm or sarcastic, depending on the delivered intent. It was first heard from the informant’s father while explaining homework.

Analysis:

One of the hardest professions to have is a rocket scientist. The amount of schooling and intelligence required is considered unparalleled except possibly by neurosurgeons, where another variation of the phrase exists, “it’s not brain surgery”. The phrase is meant to convey that it is less than rocket science and, therefore, not that hard. It is used to soften or intensify a sentence, depending on the usage. Like most metaphors, it’s used to add flair to speech. 

Sedibala pele ga se ikangwe

Text: “Sedibala pele ga se ikangwe”

Translation: “The well down the road [or in the next village, or down the path] cannot be relied on”

Context:

This phrase is a favorite of my informant, B, because of its many nuances. B is a middle aged man who lives and was raised in Gaborone, Botswana. This is a common phrase in Setswana —the national language of Botswana— used as a metaphor to relay that the future is unpredictable. B first learned this phrase from his parents in his childhood (1970s/80s). 

The phrase is often used to remind others of the unpredictability of the future. For example, if B’s and his wife were to set off on a road trip B has the option to fill up the gas tank before they leave but instead chooses to fill up in the next town over. Unfortunately the gas station in the next town is busy, and the next town is shut down and they are unable to find a working one before the car runs out of gas, the wife could say “Sedibala pele”. The phrase is so common, people often don’t finish the entire sentence, and the other party will still understand what is trying to be portrayed. 

B cites this phrase as a personal philosophy that has stuck with him since he was a young child, reminding him to focus on things in the present that he can control, and to not rely on the future because it is never guaranteed.

Interpretation/Analysis:

From what I know, the sentiment of this phrase is a common one throughout most cultures. It reminds me of the saying “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” which has origins in western agricultural communities, however it gives a similar message; not to rely on the future because it is not guaranteed. The phrase serves as a reminder of the inescapable uncontrollable nature of luck and chance in life. It speaks to the nature of humans to predict the future, see patterns in the past and assume they know what will happen next, as we know, that is not always accurate.