Making a breakthrough is an important piece of the ideal American story. Just before Representative Dennis Kucinich voted for the recent health insurance reform bill, he told Esquire.com (esquire.com/the-side/qa/dennis-kucinich-health-care-bill-032210) about the breakthrough that led him to do it. Hope for future health care reform bills revived because of it. Now, lined up on the political tarmac are a string of other vital bills—banking reform, energy redesign, immigration reform. All will need big breakthroughs to pass in any kind of viable form. None of the bills proposed or already passed on these topics is ideal. At best, they all contain very unpleasant compromises from a progressive point of view. But unfortunately this is an era when just getting off the ground is worth celebrating and promoting. More about some language for that below.
“Taking wing” is a good image for the nitty gritty these days too. To take off, any bill must get past the corporate corruption of our politics and the poisonous effect of big media amplifying deliberate special interest deception. The result of all that is the frightened, misinformed local constituency Congressional reps face at home. Those reps need to keep on soaring above it all, just the way President Obama urged them to re health insurance reform—by remembering all of the American people, by recalling the needs of our nation in a rapidly changing world, by getting back in touch with their own ideals.
The process that led up to the health insurance vote was probably the biggest call to break through it all our nation has seen from a U.S. president since JFK. So, to celebrate the moment and even more important, to help fuel future ones, I’ve compiled a draft list of American breakthrough language, inserted below. I invite you to send me your breakthrough language suggestions and comments too (also please catch and report repetitions in the list below). The final result of our work on this list together will become a permanent part of the Metaphor Project website, in our Resource section. This working draft of the American Breakthrough Language list is on our website now; via the link for this post in the middle of our home page at: metaphorproject.org :
Susan C. Strong, Ph.D.,
Executive Director
The Metaphor Project
metaphorproject.org
metaphorproject@earthlink.net
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Some American “Breakthrough” Language
These language suggestions range from sudden breakthroughs to gradual ones, in no particular order
break through (verb form)
sudden insight
a spark
sparking
an electrical charge
charged
charged up
catalytic
lightning flash
an electrical current
a strong current
upping the ante
rising to the challenge
turbocharged
a new synergy
a new synthesis
a new level of leverage
sudden shift
paradigm shift
polar shift
dramatic shift
powerful shift
a catalytic shift
going beyond
an absolute change
stroke of genius
new sense of power and confidence
ramp-up
ramping up
hyper —
a transformation
transforming
awakening
metamorphosis
growing trend
a fast growing trend
a surprise
surprising
unanticipated
ripple effect
being swept up, into, toward
leaping the chasm
quantum leap
bridging the gap
crossing the bridge
opening the door
crossing the threshold
pushing through
leapfrog
making the leap
taking off
take off
flying
taking flight
tipping point
stepping into a fast current
moving into the fast lane
going through the door
finding the key
unlocking
opening up
breaking out
dawning
rising
giving birth to
a rebirth of
crossing the frontier
starting
changing course
breaking new ground
leading the way
launching
springing up
starting fresh
fresh start
overcoming
unleashing
blooming
unfolding
go ahead
headway
step up
boost cracking the . . . .(code, barrier, etc.)
