Definition
A frozen metaphor is similar to a dead metaphor but even more deeply embedded in language. It’s a figure of speech that has become so conventional that it's practically impossible to recognize as a metaphor at all. The original figurative meaning is entirely lost, and the expression is used purely literally. For example, 'breakfast' literally means to 'break the fast' (from sleeping), but we rarely think of it that way. Frozen metaphors are fundamental building blocks of vocabulary. They reveal how language gradually absorbs figurative meanings over time. They’re like linguistic fossils. 🧊