Metaphors and Beyond
@metaphorsandbeyond.bsky.social
Devoted to discovering, identifying, and using uncommonly high quality non-literal comparisons (metaphors, metonymies, similes, analogies, etc.). Send 'em my way! For much, much more go to metaphorsandbeyond dot com.
Concerning Pam Bondi: “‘Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza and you deliver every time he tells you to go after James Comey, Letitia James, Lisa Cook and Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve Board, and members of Congress,’ [Jamie] Raskin said.”
Edge out Domino’s & the Hut??!
Edge out Domino’s & the Hut??!
February 11, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Concerning Pam Bondi: “‘Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza and you deliver every time he tells you to go after James Comey, Letitia James, Lisa Cook and Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve Board, and members of Congress,’ [Jamie] Raskin said.”
Edge out Domino’s & the Hut??!
Edge out Domino’s & the Hut??!
“. . . it would be a mistake to treat President Trump as the origin of the ultra-powerful presidency. He is merely picking up the weapons that previous administrations left lying around and waltzing through the loopholes they opened.“
-libertarian Katherine Mangu-Ward
What a loophole waltz! Whoa!
-libertarian Katherine Mangu-Ward
What a loophole waltz! Whoa!
February 10, 2026 at 2:52 AM
“. . . it would be a mistake to treat President Trump as the origin of the ultra-powerful presidency. He is merely picking up the weapons that previous administrations left lying around and waltzing through the loopholes they opened.“
-libertarian Katherine Mangu-Ward
What a loophole waltz! Whoa!
-libertarian Katherine Mangu-Ward
What a loophole waltz! Whoa!
Frederick Buechner on reading Hebrew and Christian scripture (aka the Bible) as literature:
“The trouble is it's not like any other book. To read the Bible as literature is like reading Moby Dick as a whaling manual or The Brothers Karamazov for its punctuation.
. . .
1/2
“The trouble is it's not like any other book. To read the Bible as literature is like reading Moby Dick as a whaling manual or The Brothers Karamazov for its punctuation.
. . .
1/2
February 8, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Frederick Buechner on reading Hebrew and Christian scripture (aka the Bible) as literature:
“The trouble is it's not like any other book. To read the Bible as literature is like reading Moby Dick as a whaling manual or The Brothers Karamazov for its punctuation.
. . .
1/2
“The trouble is it's not like any other book. To read the Bible as literature is like reading Moby Dick as a whaling manual or The Brothers Karamazov for its punctuation.
. . .
1/2
Anne Lamott: “. . . shine a little brighter. . . lighthouses do not run all over the island looking for boats to save. They just stand there, giving off light. Now, in the face of the current streams of evil, some days are just too long, period, and all one can do is to keep the patient comfortable”
February 2, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Anne Lamott: “. . . shine a little brighter. . . lighthouses do not run all over the island looking for boats to save. They just stand there, giving off light. Now, in the face of the current streams of evil, some days are just too long, period, and all one can do is to keep the patient comfortable”
Mary Geddry: “The Trump regime keeps testing the rule of law the way a burglar tests door handles, rattling everything, everywhere, all at once. If a door opens, it walks through. If it doesn’t, it moves on and tries the next one.“
#insight #perspective
#insight #perspective
February 1, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Mary Geddry: “The Trump regime keeps testing the rule of law the way a burglar tests door handles, rattling everything, everywhere, all at once. If a door opens, it walks through. If it doesn’t, it moves on and tries the next one.“
#insight #perspective
#insight #perspective
Peter Wehner on Minn.:
Americans are not merely corks in Trump’s raging ocean. Courage inspires courage. Success inspires imitation. Living in truth; cultivating the sphere of truth; joining together to stand for truth and against intimidation, repression, and state-sanctioned violence— 1/2
Americans are not merely corks in Trump’s raging ocean. Courage inspires courage. Success inspires imitation. Living in truth; cultivating the sphere of truth; joining together to stand for truth and against intimidation, repression, and state-sanctioned violence— 1/2
January 30, 2026 at 5:40 AM
Peter Wehner on Minn.:
Americans are not merely corks in Trump’s raging ocean. Courage inspires courage. Success inspires imitation. Living in truth; cultivating the sphere of truth; joining together to stand for truth and against intimidation, repression, and state-sanctioned violence— 1/2
Americans are not merely corks in Trump’s raging ocean. Courage inspires courage. Success inspires imitation. Living in truth; cultivating the sphere of truth; joining together to stand for truth and against intimidation, repression, and state-sanctioned violence— 1/2
Reposted by Metaphors and Beyond
Greg Grandin on America First not as isolationist but “anti-universalist, as a tribalist nationalism that rejects the burden of global stewardship while clinging fiercely to regional supremacy.” The Monroe Doctrine enables “dominance without entanglement.” Great essay. www.ft.com/content/4e0e...
Trump, Venezuela and the doctrine that wouldn’t die
Long seen as defunct, the Monroe Doctrine is being invoked once again as a blueprint for assertive US foreign policy. Historian Greg Grandin charts the rise, fall and rebirth of an ambiguous creed
www.ft.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:11 PM
Greg Grandin on America First not as isolationist but “anti-universalist, as a tribalist nationalism that rejects the burden of global stewardship while clinging fiercely to regional supremacy.” The Monroe Doctrine enables “dominance without entanglement.” Great essay. www.ft.com/content/4e0e...
RJ Young opens a recent piece by designating former ‘bama coach Nick Saban a “Sith Lord” due his connection to the four remaining D-1 football coaches contending for the national championship. Thereafter he returns to Earth by this enhanced stealth metaphor: 1/2
January 6, 2026 at 2:56 AM
RJ Young opens a recent piece by designating former ‘bama coach Nick Saban a “Sith Lord” due his connection to the four remaining D-1 football coaches contending for the national championship. Thereafter he returns to Earth by this enhanced stealth metaphor: 1/2
According to Mary Geddry, the Orange one's republican fentanyl lie served as a “moral fig leaf“ for the military action in Venezuela.
January 4, 2026 at 9:39 PM
According to Mary Geddry, the Orange one's republican fentanyl lie served as a “moral fig leaf“ for the military action in Venezuela.
Mary Geddry on Substack notes concerning some in the U.S. Congress recognizing that too much power has been given to the executive branch by republicans: “Having set the house on fire, Congress is now earnestly discussing the importance of smoke detectors.“ #metaphorsandbeyond #insight #perspective
December 28, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Mary Geddry on Substack notes concerning some in the U.S. Congress recognizing that too much power has been given to the executive branch by republicans: “Having set the house on fire, Congress is now earnestly discussing the importance of smoke detectors.“ #metaphorsandbeyond #insight #perspective
". . . make even Scrooge blush." Takes an historical stealth metaphor and drives home the degree of disgusting greed. Thanks @rbreich.bsky.social! #metaphorsandbeyond #perspective #insight
After buying it for $18.8 billion, Walgreens' new private equity owner has eliminated paid holidays for all hourly workers on Christmas and New Year's.
Last year, Walgreens had a CEO-to-Worker pay gap of 410 to 1.
Corporate greed that would make even Scrooge blush.
Last year, Walgreens had a CEO-to-Worker pay gap of 410 to 1.
Corporate greed that would make even Scrooge blush.
December 25, 2025 at 12:53 AM
". . . make even Scrooge blush." Takes an historical stealth metaphor and drives home the degree of disgusting greed. Thanks @rbreich.bsky.social! #metaphorsandbeyond #perspective #insight
Adam Chandler on the experience of visiting a Crumbl store: “Visiting a Crumbl can seem a bit like stepping into an Instagram Reel directed by North Korea state media and shot by Norman Rockwell.“ #metaphorsandbeyond
December 16, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Adam Chandler on the experience of visiting a Crumbl store: “Visiting a Crumbl can seem a bit like stepping into an Instagram Reel directed by North Korea state media and shot by Norman Rockwell.“ #metaphorsandbeyond
Mary Geddry on 10 Dec. 2025: “Meanwhile, Trump’s first day back in office was spent tearing up the Paris agreement, gutting clean energy policy, and setting fossil fuel companies loose like feral hogs at a congressional picnic.“ 1/2
December 10, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Mary Geddry on 10 Dec. 2025: “Meanwhile, Trump’s first day back in office was spent tearing up the Paris agreement, gutting clean energy policy, and setting fossil fuel companies loose like feral hogs at a congressional picnic.“ 1/2
Mary Geddry on Republican Trump's announcement of National Park Service Free-Entry Days: “. . . on the subject of theatrical distractions, remember the National Park Service’s suddenly generous free-entry policy, rolled out with all the finesse of a clearance sale in a collapsing mall. . . . 1/2
December 6, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Mary Geddry on Republican Trump's announcement of National Park Service Free-Entry Days: “. . . on the subject of theatrical distractions, remember the National Park Service’s suddenly generous free-entry policy, rolled out with all the finesse of a clearance sale in a collapsing mall. . . . 1/2
Rex Huppke on the high seas: “As Trump’s decade-plus time as captain of the MAGA cruise ship winds its way into infamy, it appears the rats are either fleeing the ship or gearing up to fight over scraps in the galley.”
Thanks @rexhuppke.bsky.social !
#metaphorsandbeyond
Thanks @rexhuppke.bsky.social !
#metaphorsandbeyond
December 6, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Rex Huppke on the high seas: “As Trump’s decade-plus time as captain of the MAGA cruise ship winds its way into infamy, it appears the rats are either fleeing the ship or gearing up to fight over scraps in the galley.”
Thanks @rexhuppke.bsky.social !
#metaphorsandbeyond
Thanks @rexhuppke.bsky.social !
#metaphorsandbeyond
Blake Toppmeyer offers this effervescent gas cavity comparison concerning possible D-1 football playoff teams: “Alabama’s resume is as good or better than that of Notre Dame, Brigham Young, Miami, Vanderbilt, Texas, Utah or anyone else you might want to shove onto this crowded bubble.”
November 30, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Blake Toppmeyer offers this effervescent gas cavity comparison concerning possible D-1 football playoff teams: “Alabama’s resume is as good or better than that of Notre Dame, Brigham Young, Miami, Vanderbilt, Texas, Utah or anyone else you might want to shove onto this crowded bubble.”
Hens in danger?! www.metaphorsandbeyond.com/post/how-muc...
How much longer can the henhouse endure?
Comparison:. . . the ‘sensitive points’ of the peace plan will be discussed ‘directly with President Trump,’ which is the geopolitical equivalent of saying, ‘I will now consult the fox on how best to ...
www.metaphorsandbeyond.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Hens in danger?! www.metaphorsandbeyond.com/post/how-muc...
Brent Molnar: "America is running a real, functioning system of cruelty that would make a Bond villain blush." Blushing Bond villains seemingly are rare, but important component parts of an insightful non-literal comparison. Thanks Brent Molnar!
November 23, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Brent Molnar: "America is running a real, functioning system of cruelty that would make a Bond villain blush." Blushing Bond villains seemingly are rare, but important component parts of an insightful non-literal comparison. Thanks Brent Molnar!
Mary Geddry: "The “strong consumer” our pundit class loves to invoke is really the top ten percent of earners, who still account for about half of U.S. consumption. 1/2 (go to comments for the hamster wheel comparison!)
November 21, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Mary Geddry: "The “strong consumer” our pundit class loves to invoke is really the top ten percent of earners, who still account for about half of U.S. consumption. 1/2 (go to comments for the hamster wheel comparison!)
Will Bunch writing in the Philly Inquirer addresses the financial implications of common people finding out about behaviors of tony elites: "I’m not a financial expert, but if I had disposable cash I’d avoid the hyperinflated AI bubble and invest in a company that manufactures pitchforks."
November 17, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Will Bunch writing in the Philly Inquirer addresses the financial implications of common people finding out about behaviors of tony elites: "I’m not a financial expert, but if I had disposable cash I’d avoid the hyperinflated AI bubble and invest in a company that manufactures pitchforks."
Mary Geddry:
Scientists are now breeding “Flonduran” corals, hybrids between Florida and Honduran survivors, in a last-ditch attempt to outwit the ocean. It’s a little like crossing a hamster and a toaster to build a better ark. Admirable, yes. Hopeless, probably. 1/2
Scientists are now breeding “Flonduran” corals, hybrids between Florida and Honduran survivors, in a last-ditch attempt to outwit the ocean. It’s a little like crossing a hamster and a toaster to build a better ark. Admirable, yes. Hopeless, probably. 1/2
November 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Mary Geddry:
Scientists are now breeding “Flonduran” corals, hybrids between Florida and Honduran survivors, in a last-ditch attempt to outwit the ocean. It’s a little like crossing a hamster and a toaster to build a better ark. Admirable, yes. Hopeless, probably. 1/2
Scientists are now breeding “Flonduran” corals, hybrids between Florida and Honduran survivors, in a last-ditch attempt to outwit the ocean. It’s a little like crossing a hamster and a toaster to build a better ark. Admirable, yes. Hopeless, probably. 1/2
Thomas Friedman conceptually treks all the way to Russia for his latest coping insight: www.metaphorsandbeyond.com/post/from-ru...
From Russia with Love?!
Comparison:Russians had a saying that today would apply to more than a few other countries: “It’s easier to turn an aquarium into fish soup than to turn fish soup into an aquarium.”Thomas Friedman, wo...
www.metaphorsandbeyond.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Thomas Friedman conceptually treks all the way to Russia for his latest coping insight: www.metaphorsandbeyond.com/post/from-ru...
Says Seth Godin: “Most of us, most of the time, are living in a ghost city.“ Why on Earth (or any other planet) would he use a comparison of a “ghost city“? See follow comment for the answer 1/2
November 2, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Says Seth Godin: “Most of us, most of the time, are living in a ghost city.“ Why on Earth (or any other planet) would he use a comparison of a “ghost city“? See follow comment for the answer 1/2
Peter Wehner notes:
“A curtain of darkness is settling over our nation. And it’s getting ever harder to avoid connecting the authoritarian dots.”
Keep track of the dots, we’ll need perspective, planning, and action when we rebuild using light.
“A curtain of darkness is settling over our nation. And it’s getting ever harder to avoid connecting the authoritarian dots.”
Keep track of the dots, we’ll need perspective, planning, and action when we rebuild using light.
October 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Peter Wehner notes:
“A curtain of darkness is settling over our nation. And it’s getting ever harder to avoid connecting the authoritarian dots.”
Keep track of the dots, we’ll need perspective, planning, and action when we rebuild using light.
“A curtain of darkness is settling over our nation. And it’s getting ever harder to avoid connecting the authoritarian dots.”
Keep track of the dots, we’ll need perspective, planning, and action when we rebuild using light.