Figures of speech should not be taken literally
In 2002, British Home Office Minister John Denham was berated for talking about getting down to the ‘nitty gritty’ - an old reference to the bottom of a slave ship’s hold - and similarly, British police were advised that the term ‘good egg’ - apparently derived from rhyming slang ‘egg & spoon’ - was also on the proscribed list.
Surely all this is ‘taking the mick’ and a sensible approach to the use and interpretation of figures of speech will prevail.
