rotten

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Antonija  #215269  Fri, 14 Apr 06 10:35 AM

Is there such metaphore in English or any other stylistic device which symbolizes or refers to something rotten.

I don't know if expression ''rotten egg'' means anything to you. But I need it to express that something went wrong in a relationship or in  a marriage.

Thank you

  
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Mister Micawber  #215802  Sat, 15 Apr 06 08:18 AM

I know 'rotten egg', but it usually refers to a person who is not very good.  I can think of nothing at the moment; could you give me a bit of context?

  
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Antonija  #215871  Sat, 15 Apr 06 12:03 PM

Hello Mr Micawber,

here's the context:

The logic of an adulturer/cheater is madly ambitious: to preserve the rotten egg of the marriage at any cost, and to keep their surreal trophey outside the marriage.

  
Mister Micawber  #215919  Sat, 15 Apr 06 02:42 PM

Well, I think it is a mistake to use rotten egg, because as I said, in English it refers to a person rather than a situation. And you already have mixed metaphors-- rotten egg and surreal trophy do not go together at all (nor do I have any idea what surreal trophy may mean-- beyond the fact that the writer is obviously opposed to out-of-marriage love-making).

With a topic like this, any metaphors seem a little gross to me-- why not just use appropriate vocabulary?-- preserve the facade of the marriage and keep...  well, whatever.

By the way, your pronoun is not in concord with its referrent.


  
Anonymous  #215928  Sat, 15 Apr 06 02:54 PM
Surreal throphy is cheater's mistress.He is unwilling to abandon his wife as well as his mistress.His mistress is his trophy, although I am not quite sure why surreal.
  
julielai  #216131  Sat, 15 Apr 06 10:58 PM

Perhaps he's having an online affair; or he's having a "trophy" in his dream (????)

(I'm making this up.)

  
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Anonymous  #216327  Sun, 16 Apr 06 08:25 AM
Maybe this might help -

The logic of an adulturer/cheater is madly ambitious: to preserve the rotten core of the marriage and to keep their surreal trophy outside the marriage at any cost.

  
Antonija  #216434  Sun, 16 Apr 06 02:42 PM

Thank you Anon,

Is this expression ''rotten core'' common?

  
davkett  #216567  Sun, 16 Apr 06 08:52 PM

Surreal trophy is just too hard to decipher in this context.  And I would write-- insanely ambitious.

  
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