It has been reported by various newspapers
You might have several sensationalist stories around the internet from various UK outlets, suggesting that phrases like ‘bringing home the bacon’, ‘killing two birds with one stone’ and ‘flogging a dead horse’ could be banned in order not to offend vegans and vegetarians.
Thing is, it is not really the case.
The recent stories all spin from one academic – Shareena Hamzah of Swansea University – writing an article for academic journal The Conversation. Hamzah suggests that meat-based metaphors may begin to become used less as more and more people decide to eat less animal products.
“If veganism forces us to confront the realities of food’s origins,” says Hamzah, “Then this increased awareness will undoubtedly be reflected in our language and our literature”.
She doesn’t actually even suggest taking steps to remove them from common usage.
“However, that is not to say that meaty descriptions will be done away with immediately – after all, it can take language a long time to change,” she continues. “And who is to say that even those who choose a vegan or vegetarian diet even want to do away with the meaty descriptions?”
But of course, just saying that doesn’t get people all wound up and leaving angry Facebook comments, does it? That’s not how the social media-fuelled news cycle works.
Animal Charity Peta does also have a list of suggested animal-friendly versions of popular phrases (eg “Feed a fed horse” instead of “Beat a dead horse”), but again, there’s not suggesting of anyone trying to ‘ban’ any of these phrases, and this isn’t a new development.
So if you find your blood boiling about how ‘political correctness is going mad’ or whatever over this story – take a breath, and remember it hasn’t. No one is trying to ban ‘bringing home the bacon’. We just let the cat out of the bag.
