A Study Of Humorous Potential Of Metaphor

Both the study of metaphor and the study of humor have a history of over2000years. In the past, metaphor and humor went their own separate ways and thehumorous potential of metaphor often went unnoticed. By reviewing the theory ofmetaphor and the theory of humor, this research argues that they can be synthesized inthat they share some essential similarities.It is pointed out that the humorousness of metaphor arises out of three importantsemantic features of metaphor, namely the semantic contradiction and overlapbetween tenor and vehicle, the creativity of metaphor and the fuzziness ofmetaphorical meaning.Based on an analysis of materials of humorous metaphors, the paper finds thatthere are12major types: grammar-based metaphor, image metaphor, analogy-basedmetaphor, sustained metaphor, multiple interpretations, atypical characteristics ofvehicle or illogical vehicle, polysemy-based metaphor, metaphorical hyperbole,delayed ground, delayed tenor, ground rebuttal, and mixed metaphor. It further arguesthat speakers will create metaphor intentionally and unintentionally, exemplified bymultiple interpretations and mixed metaphor respectively. Besides, it is not always thespeaker that constructs humorous ground. As a matter of fact, listeners equally play apart in meaning construction of humorous metaphors. The humorous potential ofmetaphor will increase, especially when the semantic distance between the tenor andvehicle is greater, when the vehicle has more features, when the vehicle is less typicaland more illogical, when the number of vehicles is greater, when hyperbole isinvolved simultaneously, and when two-sidedness of the vehicle or tenor is strungtogether.Apart from that, we make a comparison of humorousness between simile andmetaphor and find that metaphor has a more intense sense of humor. Besides,compared with similes in the form of “as…as”, similes in the form of “like” aregenerally more amusing. Dead metaphor can be literalized again under certaincircumstances, thus regaining its literal meaning and becoming humorous. Similarly, nominal metaphor is the most humorous among different grammatical forms ofmetaphor. Finally, the paper offers some practical suggestions on how to createhumorous metaphors.