What is an argument-as-war metaphor?

What is an argument-as-war metaphor?

Definition
	A conventional metaphor in which argument is represented as war, with such possibilities as attack, defense, demolishing, winning, and losing.

Examples
	Here are some examples in English:
	Your claims are indefensible. He attacked every weak point in my argument. His criticisms were right on target. I demolished his argument. I've never won an argument with him. He shot down all of my arguments.

Generic
	An argument-as-war metaphor is a kind of
	What is a metaphor for argument?

Source
	Lakoff, G. and Johnson 1980

Context for this page:

Concept module: argument-as-war metaphor
In modular book: Metaphors in English, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H. Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Lexicon

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 18 September 1998

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