Category Archives: Metaphors
“Bee In Your Bonnet”
The expression “to have a bee in one’s bonnet” has a variety of meanings. One reported origin of this saying dates back to the early 16th century when Alexander Douglas wrote about someone being in bed with a head full … Continue reading →
Stirring Things Up
The phrase “stirring things up” has a number of definitions and, when it comes to conflict, we typically interpret it to mean getting someone upset or angry, i.e. to cause trouble. Recently on the Conflict Coaching Guild on LinkedIn I … Continue reading →
Up Against a Wall
Sometimes, when involved in an interpersonal conflict, we find ourselves “up against a wall”. This expression means we feel we have no choice about an issue, except to give in, or that we feel stuck about how to manage things. … Continue reading →
Go Jump in the Lake
When some of us are annoyed with other people and negativity begins to escalate, we may use various phrases in an attempt to get them to leave us alone. A few common water-related expressions are “go jump in the lake”, … Continue reading →
Calling a Truce
As a starting point to the subject of this week’s blog, the Oxford Dictionary (online) defines the expression “calling a truce” as “an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time”. In the middle … Continue reading →
