Metaphor of the Month! Infernal Richmond Writing

Metaphor of the Month! Infernal Richmond Writing How appropriate for this season! Virginias infernal heat of July and August should remind us why. In Latin, as the OED entry notes,  infernalis  meant realms below. The use of fire in the underworld is apparently a bit of Medieval Christian theology, but none of the underworlds of Antiquity were places youd want to spend your vacation. The association with the hellfire of Christianity can be traced back a long time; the OEDs earliest usage, from 1385, is by Chaucer. So when I call the weather infernally hot and humid Ive made an ancient reference indeed. Yet we can have infernally cold or dry or wet weather. Anything or anyone so bad to seem hellish can wear this metaphor (and some doubtlessly wear it proudly). Looking forward to your words and metaphors as the weather becomes less infernal!Please send us words and metaphors useful in academic writing by e-mailing me (jessid -at- richmond -dot- edu) or leaving a comment below. See all of our Metaphors of the Month  here  and Words of the Week  here. Inferno image courtesy of Daniel Brachlow at Pixabay.