Re: Mixing metaphors?

[Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>]

On  Jan 29, 2010 7:19AM, Deborah Hemstreet wrote:
> OK, Metaphors drive me nuts, and as my family will testify, I always get
> them mixed up...
> So, here is another question for you all.
>
> A client insists that I talk about something being a "two-edged sword"
> (they had written double edged, I can fix that!).
>
> Then they want the text to read, "On the one hand... ; on the other
> hand..." But if its a two edged sword, shouldn't it be one side or edge
> vs the other? And that does not sound right.
>
> How would you handle the sentence (being gentle on the client)?
>


Not only is this a mixed metaphor but juxtaposing
references to swords and hands creates a very uneasy
mental picture!

I'd need a bit more of the actual text before making
a suggestion on how to reword it.

-- Janice

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