Mixed Metaphors. Their Use and Abuse

Abstract

This paper provides an analytical and critical overview of Karen Sullivan’s book Mixed Metaphors, which investigates the phenomenon of mixed metaphors within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory as developed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. Building on the premise that metaphor is no longer viewed as a mere rhetorical ornament but as a fundamental cognitive mechanism shaping everyday thought and communication, the book argues that mixed metaphors are a pervasive linguistic phenomenon that merits serious study. Sullivan examines the definition of mixed metaphors, their underlying causes, and the cognitive and contextual factors that trigger them, such as proximity, semantic similarity, metaphor “sleeping” and “waking,” ambiguity, overuse of metaphors, and the blending of incompatible idioms. She further distinguishes between intentional and contextually appropriate uses of mixed metaphors—particularly in emotional and literary discourse—and unintentional uses that result in confusion and communicative failure, especially in public and political discourse. The study concludes that Sullivan’s work constitutes a significant contribution to cognitive linguistics and metaphor studies, offering a systematic framework valuable to linguists, rhetoricians, and scholars of discourse and communication.