Stock Visual Metaphors

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A visual metaphor uses an image to represent something else entirely. Some have become standard through use and re-use—some even to the point of having standard parodies or subversions.

For internal emotions and sensations, visual metaphors mostly serve the Rule of Perception. For external actions and events, they can serve as unusual euphemisms for sex and violence.

See also Briffits and Squeans.

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Internals

• Background Halo
• Battle Aura: passion/determination
• Big Little Man
• Big Shadow, Little Creature
• Catching Some Zs: sleep, formerly snoring
• Circling Birdies: concussion
• Confused Question Mark: confusion, surprise
• Fire-Breathing Diner: hot, spicy food
• Heart Symbol: romantic crush
  • Hearts Are Health: health or life force
• High-Pressure Emotion: anger/embarrassment
• Idea Bulb: receiving inspiration
• Marked Change
• Personal Raincloud: sadness or depression
• Power Makes Your Hair Grow
  • Power Dyes Your Hair
• Thunder Shock: shock
• Hot, strong emotions such as anger or lust:
  • Teakettle boiling: can be used to represent it building up and then reaching a peak when the kettle whistles.
    • Same with a steam whistle on a boiler.
  • Volcanic eruption (see: Climactic Volcano Backdrop)
    • Even in space.
  • Explosion (see Angst Nuke)
  • In anime, violently large nosebleeds (to indicate lust).
• Rising small bubbles: Drunkenness. Also known as Squeans.

Externals

• Drama:
  • Disturbed Doves
• Excrement:
  • Bowel-Breaking Bricks
• Getting clocked:
  • Pile driver
  • Clock
  • Broken Faceplate
• Penis:
  • Banana
  • Hot dog
  • Elephant (in Japanese things) - also eggplant (traditional phallic symbol) and turtle's heads (pun on a slang term for foreskin)
• Sex:
  • Large rocket lifting off
  • Train entering a tunnel
  • Geyser spouting
  • Fireworks
    • Parodied in a Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch, where a couple are revealed to be watching a home movie of these visual metaphors instead of having sex.
      • The Benny Hill Show did the same thing.
    • Also parodied in a Simpsons scene, where Homer and Marge are having sex while the kids are at a Stock Footage Festival, with no idea what their parents are doing. Also during a romantic scene, Homer and Marge use the metaphor while looking lustfully at each other, right before they begin launching literal fireworks.
  • Something Else Also Rises - visual metaphors for erections and/or orgasms.
• Phlegmings uses saliva or phlegm to suggest fear and fright.
• Power Glows uses glowing to show the presence of energy.
• Time Compression Montage uses cuts to imply that a large amount of time has passed without showing the time directly.
• Audible Sharpness uses sound to imply sharpness. (Might not count as a *visual* metaphor.)