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Survey Paper | Linguistics | Serbia | Volume 3 Issue 7, July 2014
Sports Metaphors - To Live by and Spice up Sports and other Domain Specific Languages
Danica Pirsl [4] | Tea Pirsl
Abstract: Would you rather be a first stringer than a bench warmer Are you likely to find a Monday morning quarterback out in left field If you can answer these questions, then you, like millions of sports fans will understand the baseball, football, and boxing metaphors used in non - sports language. However, if you would be tempted to take off your gloves for Sunday punch, your ignorance of sports may cause you to become confused by the sports terms bouncing around, not just sports but legal arenas as well. A first-class performer -A member of the starting team can be found not just on the court but in other spheres of life. Just a few examples cited show us that the wealth of sport language cannot be ignored at all. Due attention has to be attributed to sports metaphors, if one wants to understand the complex arena of life and the society at large. Therefore this paper introduces a class module aimed at teaching important business lessons through the responsible use of sports metaphors, as well. First, we briefly discuss the needs and benefits of using sports metaphors within the classroom. Second, we draw attention to some potential pitfalls of misusing these unique metaphors. Finally, we demonstrate how the sports of tennis and basketball (among other relevant sports) can aid students in understanding aspects of managerial and other text-driven decision making.
Keywords: sports metaphors, metaphorical framing model, society at large, communication, comprehension
Edition: Volume 3 Issue 7, July 2014,
Pages: 543 - 546