Metaphor, language, and discourse processes

An evaluation of conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) offered by Raymond W. Gibbs, Jr. in this issue suggests a number of important opportunities for future research that may be based on interesting research findings produced over the past 3 decades in response to CMT. This reply to Gibbs argues that the main question for discourse processing remains when metaphor is processed by comparison; and, if it is, what the specific nature and function of that comparison is in the context of the discourse in which it occurs. Some additional options for future research, also inspired by CMT, are presented in this article. Whether these options may be interpreted as supporting CMT's, as well as Gibbs's, main claim (i.e., that metaphor is a matter of thought) remains to be seen. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.