ABSTRACT
Following Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) Conceptual Metaphor (CM) Theory, Lakoff and Turner (1989) proposed a dichotomy between conceptual and “image” metaphors. However, Deignan (2007) countered that metaphor categorization may not be so clear in actual use. In light of this debate, this chapter describes a pilot study to examine speaker interpretation of metaphors. Results were not neatly classifiable according to Lakoff and Turner’s scheme, indicating that a prototypical approach to metaphor may be in order. Additionally, results show individual variation that is unexplained under CM theory; both a theory accounting for, and future studies on, individual variation are needed.
