Thursday, March 27, 2008

Confusing metaphor of the day

From the New York Times:

A headline on Saturday with an article about the increasing number of women who serve as chief investment officers for university endowments and foundations used a "glass ceiling" metaphor in a way that conveyed the opposite point made by the article. The headline should have said something to the effect that "The Glass Ceiling Is Lifting," not "The Glass Ceiling Is Edging Lower."
There'd still be a problem though: if the ceiling is lifting, breaking through it becomes even more difficult. The only way to remove the glass ceiling is with a metaphorical glass cutter or hammer.

The article's current headline is also less than ept: corner and climbing suggest to my mind that someone is climbing the walls. Yipes.

Corner of Finance Where Women Are Climbing (New York Times)
All metaphor posts (via Pinboard)

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