CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR OF FEAR IN ENGLISH SLANG

The present paper offers a cognitive account of metaphor of fear in English slang. Conceptual metaphor of fear in not uncommon in substandard English, yielding 12 metaphorical patterns, eight out of which remained previously unlisted. The most productive mapping of fear in English slang is found to be FEAR IS LACK OF MASCULINITY. The linguocognitive evidence collected allows for concluding that English slang is androcentric, physicalist, and somatocentric; patientizing and objectifying; abusive, sexist, and racist; dysphemistic and ironic.