Full Mental Racket: "Fuel" Gets Pumped

As mentioned previously on this blog, we noted a general rise in energy-related metaphors of late. Today, thanks to a few dipstick speculators and greasy pirates we are forced to give fuel its day in the sun. Besides, we’re stuck at home with no money for gas.

Drivers are over a barrel these days as oil bumps its head on the dreaded 3/4 mark again. A technical uh-oh, $75-per-barrel oil threatens to become the crude-booster’s new low, only a year or so after setting up camp at $50. As prices throw hooks to the level high-ground of $100, this slicker shock can become life-threatening to the entire economy, with few people unaffected.

An uncommon consensus is developing as to the way things are being run – that is, into the ground – promising that the angry word “fuel” will be on the tips of our collective tongues and at the forefront of our minds. It already is. After years of rising gasoline prices, “fuel” has already popularized itself as a metaphor choice in the media. This year, We the Me at the Metaphor Observatory predict that “fuel” will become a villainous star – especially in newscasts. Watch for “fuel (for) debate“, “fueling fears” and “fueling inflation“, among many others. But you probably won’t need to watch for falling prices.