metaphors, meta-phives, and matadors.

In the Ras Kass song, "Interview with a Vampire," off of Ras' second album
Rassassination, he essentially says the words of religious texts in general, and the Bible in particular, are taken too literally.

He offers that metaphoric and figurative speech should be given due consideration, especially if so much emphasis otherwise is placed on the literal leanings of many religious folk.

In Bible study tonight, Minister Justin Reed, took us through Cain and Able.

Here's a good example of how, this story can illustrate the illuminating power of metaphor.

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If someone is running down the street then he/she is considered able-bodied by most standards.

George Carlin, in his infinite wisdom, said people use extra words to make things sound more important than they really are. That said, if someone is "able-bodied" is it fair, by Carlin's suggestion, to simply call that person, "able." (that subtraction of one word [i.e. bodied] saves us two syllables and five letters for those of us keeping track)? Let's play along for the sake of agreement and say it is fair, mmmk?

Back to the hypothetical. If we substitute Able for Able-bodied in the hypothetical above we have this  if/then statement (this is called a conditional by students of logic)

If someone is running down the street then he/she is considered ABLE by most standards.

A homonym of ABLE, when the two last letters are reversed is ABEL, as in the proper name of Cain's brother.

The same flipping of Cain's name can be done. CAIN can also be spelled CANE as in an instrument that assists with walking.


In the Biblical story in Genesis CAIN kills ABEL.

In a figurative, major Big Pun / wordplay sense, if you hand someone who is otherwise Able (-bodied) a CANE (the instrument that helps walk), you have essentially ruined their Able-ness. Assuming the CANE is used for its intended purpose (i.e. to assist with walking) no longer are they ABLE to walk because they have learned to be reliant on the CANE.

In nutshell then, the CANE kills the ABLE (or ability).

Similar plays on words and flipping of the literal to figurative can be done throughout many a text, canonical ones especially.

For a brilliant spelling out of homonyms in action please see Ras Kass' song, entitled, "Write Where I Left Off."

This idea was sparked by a similar pun from the movie the program (big ups to Andre Mr. Farr, creative consultant for and actor in the movie, the dialogue of which was committed to memory by myself and my Pop Warner fullback, Phil)