You Are A Word-Smithy

The Power Of
Analogical Illustrations
For Driving Home A Point & Making The Argument

Governor Andrew Cuomo is now a regular feature of the landscape across America, at least for the next several months of 2020.

As you listen to him, notice the repeated use of analogies — not just metaphors — but his extended analogies.

One of the reasons that extended analogies are so powerful is because it only takes a brief reference back to the original analogical illustration in order to call up the whole of the analogy — the point and/or the argument made by the analogy!

On Saturday (April 4, 2020), Governor Cuomo called up an analogy used by F.D.R. ^[1]

Down below is the actual transcript of the particular section of the Cuomo news conference.  Here is the actual transcript of F.D.R.’s “Garden Hose Analogy” used by Cuomo.

Suppose my neighbor’s home catches fire, and I have a length of garden hose four or five hundred feet away. If he can take my garden hose and connect it up with his hydrant, I may help him to put out his fire. Now, what do I do? I don’t say to him before that operation, “Neighbor, my garden hose cost me $15; you have to pay me $15 for it.” What is the transaction that goes on? I don’t want $15—I want my garden hose back after the fire is over. All right. If it goes through the fire all right, intact, without any damage to it, he gives it back to me and thanks me very much for the use of it. But suppose it gets smashed up—holes in it—during the fire; we don’t have to have too much formality about it, but I say to him, “I was glad to lend you that hose; I see I can’t use it any more, it’s all smashed up.” He says, “How many feet of it were there?” I tell him, “There were 150 feet of it.” He says, “All right, I will replace it.” Now, if I get a nice garden hose back, I am in pretty good shape.

In other words, if you lend certain munitions and get the munitions back at the end of the war, if they are intact haven’t been hurt—you are all right; if they have been damaged or have deteriorated or have been lost completely, it seems to me you come out pretty well if you have them replaced by the fellow to whom you have lent them.

 

The next day, Governor Cuomo made a quick reference to “the garden hose” analogy to reiterate and/or to argue his point again —  in response to a journalist’s question.  As stated, that is one of the accompanying strengths of these analogical illustrations.  It only takes a simple reference to the idea of “garden hose” to call up the whole argument or example.

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Check out Tony Evan’s book of Illustrations, where he does this all the time. There is a reason that Evans is such a compelling and effective speaker!  He knows how to create an analogical illustration!

A remarkable analogy by Governor Cuomo F.D.R.

If you would like a FREE BOOKLET on creating an analogical illustration, click here!

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Also, the link to the only Dictionary of Related Words, which I know is available.

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1. Transcript of Governor Cuomo’s News Conference (Link To Video — Approx 13:37)

* Alternate Link & Another Reference To F.D.R. Speech

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