metaphorical

“It’s not just about putting up with somebody's bad behaviour, but calling it out. And we always give each other metaphorical pats-on-the back to support each other,” she says.

Usually, she adds, such roles also result in a metaphorical bloodbath involving dozens of actors.

It’s a police procedural, a metaphorical family comedy, a workplace comedy, a soap opera, a melodrama, a low-budget action adventure.

Mel’s also broke, has an aversion to commitment, and in a relatable and metaphorical twist, is gripped by aerophobia.

But he was being metaphorical, commenting on the swoony gossip of Hollywood stars’ supposed romances: “I heard more sweet love stories in three weeks than I had in New York in thirty years … the whole place stank of orange blossoms.”