Home For Fiction – Blog

A mixed metaphor is the intermixing of two or more metaphors the literal meaning of which comes from different and incompatible areas. Apart from my cheeky example in the note above, also consider the following:

• I shall make no bones about the skeleton in the closet.
• We’ve got to grab the bull by the tail and look him in the eye.
• He’s like a duck out of water.

As you might already guess, the juxtaposition of such incongruous elements can have a profoundly humorous effect. However, humor is not the only possible option for mixed metaphors, as we shall see below. Whether to avoid mixed metaphors or not depends entirely on the intended meaning.

 

Avoid Mixed Metaphors – to Be or not to Be?

Perhaps the most famous mixed metaphor in literature comes from Shakespeare and Hamlet. In the famous soliloquy, Hamlet begins by delivering the following lines:

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,

Hamlet uses one metaphor from the area of battle – “suffer the slings and arrows…” and “take arms against”. But then he throws another metaphor into the mix, by referring to “a sea of troubles”. The result is far less humorous compared to the examples above. Indeed, I don’t know a single person who would call it humorous at all.

So, if a mixed metaphor is not humorous, what are we left with? To learn whether one should avoid mixed metaphors or not, we should talk about these other possible effects.

Possibility 1: sloppy writing

The general consensus is that mixed metaphors are not a good thing – that is, if the context is not humorous. Perhaps precisely because of their destabilizing effect, they are considered a poor option. In this interpretation, it goes without saying that one should avoid mixed metaphors. However, there is one more element we need to discuss.

Possibility 2: Snap!

Generally speaking, Shakespeare’s text is not considered an example of sloppy writing, but rather something else. Most critics would read the incongruity of the mixed metaphors as a sign of Hamlet’s frail mental state. In other words, the use of mixed metaphors can be a sign of mental instability.

Should You Use or Avoid Mixed Metaphors?

Well, in conclusion, it depends. As you probably saw, mixed metaphors can have a profoundly humorous effect. That means that, in the right context, they can be very effective. At the same time (and in a different context) they can be excellent markers of mental instability.

However, both cases (perhaps the latter in particular) require skill and experience. I’d say that the rule of thumb – as with so many other elements in writing – is this: if you’re unsure, it’s probably a sign you shouldn’t use it.