As a parent, I’ve been frustrated with my kids when they don’t clean up after dinner, or they forget their chores and therefore, have uttered the common phrase, “I’ve told you a million times …” before further explaining their mistake. If I’m particularly frustrated, I might say I told them “a billion times.”
Or perhaps after skipping a meal and having a late dinner, I’ve sat down at the table and said, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
These are cliché expressions many use but don’t mean literally. I haven’t counted, but I can say with some confidence I hadn’t told my kids “A million times.”
I’m simply expressing how I’ve told them enough they should definitely know better. I’ve never been hungry enough to actually eat a horse. I’m sure eating a horse in one sitting is impossible, even if I were hungry.
Hyperbole is a common device in everyday conversation used to create emphasis, evoke strong emotion, and make a point. We…
