Full Idea
Metaphorical concepts are defined not in terms of concrete images (flying, creeping, going down the road etc.), but in terms of more general categories, like passing.
Gist of Idea
Metaphorical concepts arise not from concrete images but from general ones
Source
G Lakoff / M Johnson (Metaphors We Live By [1980], 09)
A Reaction
An important aspect of their claim that metaphors are foundational to our conceptual scheme. It seems obvious that concepts generated from more concrete images are more 'foundational' than the generalised ones. Generalisation precedes metaphors.
Book Reference
Lakoff,G/Johnson,M: 'Metaphors We Live By' [Chicago 2003], p.45
Related Idea
Idea 24443 Metaphor not only pervades language, but also our fundamental conceptual scheme [Lakoff/Johnson]