George Lakoff

Academic / Scholar

American · Late 20th–21st century

American cognitive linguist, co-author of Metaphors We Live By, known for work on conceptual metaphor theory arguing that metaphors structure how humans understand experience.

Connection to Taylor Swift

Uncle Jerry uses Lakoff and Johnson's framework to analyze the extraordinary density of metaphorical language in All Too Well, counting over 30 metaphors including 13 ontological metaphors, and recommends the book as essential reading for understanding Taylor's use of metaphor.

Notable Works

  • Metaphors We Live By (with Mark Johnson), Women Fire and Dangerous Things