Metaphor

What linguists call conceptual metaphor refers to the "understanding of one idea, or conceptual domain [the "target domain"] in terms of another" [the "source domain"]. Here's a striking recent example in which John Wagner, Director of the California Social Services Department, manages to use two metaphors derived from animal husbandry—"wean" and "carrot and stick"—to describe Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposal to cut Temporary Assistance income supplements:

The assistance boost would apply to people whose incomes are low enough to qualify for food stamps but have already been weaned from the CalWorks program, which provides temporary financial assistance to needy families, Wagner said.

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Along with the carrot of more assistance for some working families, the stick could be strengthened as well. California currently cannot cease all assistance from families who fail to comply with work or other activity requirements, one of only a handful of states with such lenient policies, Wagner said.

While the "safety net" metaphor has limitations, it's at least a better and more respectful metaphor to use in discussing programs for the adult people Wagner is referring to. Parents trying to get by on a low-wage job are walking a tightrope. Programs like Temporary Assistance provide both a "balancing pole" that makes it possible to continue moving forward and a safety net that catches them if they become unemployed. Even better, if less metaphorical, is the concept of social insurance, which has the added benefit of suggesting a collective endeavor to provide protection against labor market risks.