Wednesday 13 October 2010

Do you like to play with words? Then try this!

Can you find something common between two completely random objects/things? I find myself having to think like this when I want to create interesting metaphors in my writing. We do, after all, have to steer clear of typical associations and cliches, right? So this is what I do to try and get my brain working in a way it normally doesn't. Take a look at the pairs of objects below, and tell me at least one common thing between them.
Here's an easy one as an example:
Scissors and Grass: They both have blades.

Ok, your turn:
Photos and Nail Polish
Book and Therapist
Drugs and Mountains
Bees and Tattoos
Cappuccino and Shampoo
Water and Table
Party and Man
Sidewalk and Grey Wool
Human body and Leaf
Chinese meal and Sex (ok, I stole this on off a movie I watched last night)

So, can you think of any? Tell me in the comments! My answers will be up tomorrow :o)

37 comments:

  1. Yikes. Um, too early for thought. Let me come back!

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  2. This is like psychoanalysis. Okay, let's see . . .

    Photos and Nail polish: you have to wave both to dry (polaroid)

    Book and Therapist: can both involve laying on a couch to receive information

    Drugs and Mountains: they both get you high

    Bees and Tattoos: They both sting

    Cappuccino and Shampoo: they can both be foamy

    Water and Table: They can both have shining surfaces

    Party and Man: Neither know when to stop

    SIdewalk and Grey Wool: Both stretch on forever

    Human body and Leaf: Both of us turn dry and fade with age

    Haha! You made me think hard!

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  3. I was just wracking my brain yesterday while writing, trying to link a fading moment with the embers in the fire my MC was looking at! :-)

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  4. Ditto what Amy said. ;)

    OMG, I couldn't think of anything. My brain's still asleep.

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  5. Photos and Nail polish: both can be glossy.

    Book and Therapist: intellectually heavy

    Drugs and Mountains: uh, colorful?

    Bees and Tattoos: the buzzing sound (when you're getting the tattoo)

    Cappuccino and Shampoo: frothy

    Water and Table: supportive only one is buoyancy and the other is solid.

    Party and Man: both can have instant mood swings

    Sidewalk and Grey Wool: scratchy

    Human Body and Leaf: we change faster than we think

    Lol. What movie is that from?

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  6. Photos and Nail Polish- both start flaking if you don't look after them
    Book and Therapist - both make you think and feel better
    Drugs and Mountains- pass
    Bees and Tattoos- both are painful
    Cappuccino and Shampoo- both are better with lots of froath
    Water and Table- pass
    Party and Man- would rather not get into a rant- let's just say, I thought political party!
    Sidewalk and Grey Wool- both are grey duh
    Human body and Leaf- both have veins

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  7. Why isn't anyone answering the last one? LOL

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  8. Ooh, my brain isn't working. I'll have a think. lol.

    But photos and nail varnish...wave to dry.

    I agree Rayner and Amy's guesses for the others though.

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  9. Ok, Let me see what I can do.
    Photos and Nail Polish: They can both have a glossy finish.

    Book and Therapist: Both can leave you wanting/needing more.

    Drugs and Mountains: Besides get you high, they have valleys.

    Bees and Tattoos: They both leave a mark.

    Cappuccino and Shampoo: If you didn't like caapuccino, both could leave a bad taste in your mouth.

    Water and Table: Both have flat surfaces.

    Party and Man: It's the nature of the beast of go wild. (party animal)

    Sidewalk and Grey Wool: If you're allergic to wool, both can give you a rash.

    Human body and Leaf: At some point both fall from the tree of life.

    Chinese meal and Sex (ok, I stole this on off a movie I watched last night): There are lots of things to nibble on...

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  10. I'm terrible at these kind of word games. The only one I could get are water and table: pool.

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  11. Wow... well this I want to take a crack at!!! I figure who cares if I suck, it's just allowing you to think and get those juices flowing!! Plus I know you'll still love me!!

    Photos and Nail Polish - Both can be colorful!

    Book and Therapist - Allow you to analyze and think after each
    session/book.

    Drugs and Mountains - They both give you a high (hehe)

    Bees and Tattoos - They leave marks.

    Cappuccino and Shampoo - Such sweet smells :)

    Water and Table - They can both have a ripple effect (etched in the table - yeah, yeah it was a stretch)

    Party and Man - You tire of them both eventually.

    Sidewalk and Grey Wool - They are similiar in color.

    Human body and Leaf - At one point they leave their family.

    Chinese meal and Sex (ok, I stole this on off a movie I watched last night) - Wow... so many options...

    So how did I do? Hehe. This was fun!

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  12. okay, I have to start working here in a minute so I'll take the last one. Chinese food and sex: an hour later and you're hungry for more. Now I'm hungry for chinese food and it's too early for Chinese food.

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  13. What a fun post. I had a lot of ideas but they were taken already by the other comments. I look forward to seeing your connections.

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  14. I need another cup of coffee, but here is my take:

    Photos and Nail Polish -Glossy and the color can be scratched off.

    Book and Therapist - You read one; one reads you ;-D

    Drugs and Mountains - What goes up must come down.

    Bees and Tattoos - buzz, needle stick pain

    Cappuccino and Shampoo - Both wake me up;stimulate my grey matter

    Water and Table -symbolize beginning a meal ???

    Party and Man -Exciting or dull according to the man or party

    Sidewalk and Grey Wool -moths like them both, lol They both have natural elements?

    Human body and Leaf -They both grow, change, and rot.

    Chinese meal and Sex -They both can stimulate(one your taste buds; the other your senses)

    Fun, yeah, tell us what movie?

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  15. The one that jumped out at me was Book and Therapist. They both offer comfort...or not.

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  16. I'm never very good at these - love the answers from the others!! :)

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  17. hi miss jessica! yikes! thats a pretty hard game. some of the answers are really good. i got glossy for photos and nail polish and for water and table i thought of h2o and the periodic table of elements cause im leaning that in science right now. i like word games.
    ...hugs from lenny

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  18. Oh, some of those are hard ones! I'll have to think about these.

    Metaphors play such a big part in writing style! There are the usual cliches, but original metaphors add a lot to the narrative.

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  19. Hannah stole my answer to the Chinese food and sex one: an hour later you're hungry for more.

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  20. Photos and Nail Polish: Both SHINY!
    Book and Therapist: both compartmentalize or segregate their information
    Drugs and Mountains: Both get you high
    Bees and Tattoos: They sting
    Cappuccino and Shampoo: smell good, but taste lousy
    Water and Table: good places for wild sex
    Party and Man: Things good with water and tables
    Sidewalk and Grey Wool: bad for bare skin
    Human body and Leaf: grow from tiny buds, then get brittle at the end
    Chinese meal and Sex: Only fill you up for half hour or so. Then you are ready for more.

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  21. Photos and Nail Polish= both are glossy
    Book and Therapist= a book is to be read and a therapist tries to read you...
    Drugs and Mountains= you can get high on them both
    Bees and Tattoos= both involve a pointy thing and your skin
    Cappuccino and Shampoo= both foam up
    Water and Table=you need water to grown the tree to make a table
    Party and Man= You know it's a good party when some one says "Man, it's a good party!"
    Sidewalk and Grey Wool= both are grey and scratchy
    Human body and Leaf=both have veins
    Chinese meal and Sex = both are better when they are hot (blush)

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  22. Okay, most of my answers have already been covered by others, but here's a couple that weren't:

    Drugs and Mountains: the movie Better off Dead ("This is pure snow! Do you have any idea what the street value of this mountain is?")

    And of course, both Party and Man cause women to drink.

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  23. I have been looking at this for so long it's unbelieveable, sorry Jessica I can't fathom this puzzle out.

    Yvonne.

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  24. Humm, I thinkmine may be a bit numdane, but not bad ofr off the cuff while chasing a toddler.

    Photos and Nail Polish-Both need to be maintained and stored properly

    Book and Therapist-Are filled with as much useful information as they are fiction and bullshit.

    Drugs and Mountains-Both have a build up, a peak, and a release.

    Bees and Tattoos-Sting and cause tears to spring into your eyes.

    Cappuccino and Shampoo-Things that wake you up in the morning

    Human body and Leaf-Lined with veins and able to "flip" to show a different side. (And each also has a better side)

    Chinese meal and Sex-Both things you want more of after an hour.

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  25. Cappuccino and Shampoo: Both invigorate and restore. =]

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  26. Photos and Nail Polish - glossy
    Book and Therapist – make you think
    Drugs and Mountains – up high
    Bees and Tattoos - hurt
    Cappuccino and Shampoo – smell good
    Water and Table - ?
    Party and Man – can get out of control
    Sidewalk and Grey Wool - dull
    Human body and Leaf – can dry our and crack
    Chinese meal and Sex – your hungry and need more in about 30 minutes

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  27. LOL- I just read Hart’s answer for table and water.

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  28. what a fun little exercise. here's my associations:
    "Photos and Nail Polish"

    They both have a finishing gloss look.

    "Book and Therapist"

    Rediscovering an inner self

    "Drugs and Mountains"

    both are stepping stones to being high

    "Bees and Tattoos"

    Both can sting

    "Cappuccino and Shampoo"
    LOL- no clue!

    there are some...

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  29. Hmmm...

    * both are glossy
    * both provide solace
    * both give you a rush at the peak
    * both STING
    * both are supposed to be invigorating
    * both can have smooth surfaces
    * both get wild without boundaries
    * both are slightly scratchy
    * both have veins
    * um...um...both have noodles and egg rolls?? Ewww! LOL.

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  30. These look like fun - I'm not very good at thinking up my own, but enjoying everyone else's answers!

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  31. I got a couple of them before reading the answers. Then I got stuck reading Hart's wild answers.
    Not too sure about some of the party and men answers...

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  32. I'm mostly better at similes, but I'll try:

    Photos smell like nail polish ... wait that's literal, hmm?

    Books relax me like psychotherapy.

    Drugs get you higher than a mountain range.

    Bees stings hurt so good like a new tattoo.

    My cappuccino was as silky smooth as the lather from my Tom's of Maine hippy shampoo. In other words: rough.

    The lake (water) was glassy smooth, like the surface of a freshly milled wood table.

    Parties are about as fun as sweaty hairy, overweight men.

    The sidewalk concrete was a rough and broken and a tired bit of used by wool: equally grey and dull.

    The human body can shiver with excitement like an elm leave in a gale.

    BOY. These are hard. Thanks Jess.

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  33. I'm having waaaay too much fun reading everyone else's answers :) These are great! My brain, however, is mush but I'll take a crack at the one that jumps out at me: cappuccino and shampoo both smell great and can be used in the morning to start your day!

    Jen

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  34. Photos and Nail Polish - glossy

    Book and Therapist - lie down and put your feet up.

    Drugs and Mountains - mind-blowing.

    Bees and Tattoos - buzzy stingers.

    Cappuccino and Shampoo - foamy.

    Water and Table - Watery Tart! :o)

    Party and Man - loud.

    Sidewalk and Grey Wool - boring.

    Human body and Leaf - young and green, old and wizen.

    Chinese meal and Sex - Chinese are big on aphrodisiacs so... releases pheromones :o)

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  35. Trying really hard not to look at anyone else's answers.

    Photos and Nail Polish: Both are glossy? Both are toast if you spill nail polish remover on them?

    Book and Therapist You read a book and a therapist reads you?

    Drugs and Mountains Both make you high

    Bees and Tattoos Both buzz? I dunno, never had a tattoo...but I imagine a little buzzing needle thingy

    Cappuccino and Shampoo no clue...

    Water and Table Both are hard?

    Party and Man I got nuthin'

    Sidewalk and Grey Wool both scratch you?

    Human body and Leaf both have veins

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  36. Drugs and mountains- something about either a high or a peak.

    Shampoo and Cappuccino- both have foam.

    Human body and a leaf- veins.

    I really want to get the Chinese food and sex one.

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  37. Hi! I just popped over here from Ellie's page. I LOVE this game - it's something I've done myself in the past and I love the way your brain likes to make links and patterns with everything that's put in front of it.

    Don't have time to partake just know - but you have a new follower!

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