Using Figurative Language

Herbert L. Colston is Professor and Chair of Linguistics at the University of Alberta. Previously, he was a Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. Dr Colston has published widely and edited several books including Figurative Language Comprehension: Social and Cultural Influences and Irony in Language and Thought: A Cognitive Science Reader (with Raymond W. Gibbs, Jr, 2007). He co-authored Interpreting Figurative Meaning (Cambridge, 2012) with Raymond Gibbs.

• 1. Introduction: why don't people say what they mean?; 2. What is a pragmatic effect?; 3. What are the pragmatic effects?; 4. How is figurative language used?; 5. What is figurative language use?; 6. Conclusion: meaning happens.

'The major goal of this book is to provide answers to the fundamental question, 'Why does figurative language even exist?'. Colston efficiently achieves this goal. This book, a monograph which summarizes his earlier publications on figurative language since the 1990s, has several strong points. … this book is a valuable contribution to figurative language research. It contributes insights in both theoretical and practical aspects of figurative language use and comprehension …' Weiwei Zhang, Linguist List (www.Linguistlist.org)