A Basic Course in Anthropological Linguistics (Studies in Linguistic ...

MEANINGS 109
We do not detect the presence of image schemas in such common
expressions because of repeated usage. However, we obviously do see easily
if required. The last relevant point made by Lakoff and Johnson in their truly
fascinating book is that cultural groupthink is built (at least in some part) on
conceptual metaphors. This is accomplished by a kind of “higher order”
associative thinking. As target domains are associated with many kinds of
source domains, the concepts become increasingly more complex, leading to
what Lakoff and Johnson call idealized cognitive models (ICMs). To see what
this means, consider the target domain of sport talk. The following source
domains, among many others, shape a large portion of talk about sports:
[fortune]
(1) That team is lucky.
(2) Fortune is on the side of the Yankees.
(3) That team knows how to use the blitz.
(4) That team has a great attack plan.
[chess]
(5) That player has great moves.
(6) That team is now in a checkmate situation.
(7) That team cashed in on the opportunity given to them.
(8) He paid dearly for that play.
[eating]
(9) They’re hungry for a win.
(1O)That team is eating up all their opponents.
[measurement]
(1 1) He made an accurate pass.
(12)They can go a long way with their defense alone.