Metaphorical Free-for-all at Los Angeles Times

All writing is metaphorical, but sometimes the writer forgets this, and the metaphors clash. For example, according to Don Lee, Los Angeles Times (May 20, 2011):

"Europe may lose its tight grip on the agency ... emerging economies are pushing to loosen the six-decade-long stranglehold ... (another) candidate brings a different dimension ... it is by no means a slam dunk that Lagarde or another European would take the helm ... Strauss-Kahn's abrupt departure sets the stage ... The IMF is at a crossroads ... the fund may face heightened pressure ... the World Bank ... was steered by an American"

What's going on here? The stranglehold is consistent with the tight grip, but suddenly the story enters the twilight zone of a different dimension. After that, we seem to be playing basketball on board a ship. Then we are in a theater, or is it a highway? The nut behind the wheel is under pressure; maybe he steered the car into a deep lake.

Read more:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-imf-20110520,0,2076123.story

Seems like the writers weren't paying much attention to being consistent in their metaphors...

And that's a shame, because well-done metaphors are a joy to behold.

Thanks for bringing these gems to our attention!

Lazy. Tsk tsk tsk.

Hey, wait a minute...

in which case, at the end of the day, there IS no tomorrow. For true believers, that's the bottom line.

Oops, now I'm doing it.

Speaks mostly in cliches, and repeats them 3 times per conversation.

;)

:D