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Dot Commons
Saturday 1st December 2012
Farage weaves his web
Latest from Dot Commons
George Orwell once famously said the mixing of incompatible metaphors was a sure sign that someone was “not interested in what he is saying”.
Of course times change, and if Dot had a nickel for every tired phrase she heard in the Westminster village nowadays she’d be a very rich lady.
But one particular locution this morning from Nick Harvey couldn’t go unmentioned, and must surely rank with the best mixed-metaphor in modern times.
Discussing the rise and rise of Ukip, the Lib Dem told the Week in Westminster:
"Nigel Farage seems to me to be the spider in the centre of the web, having absolute whale of a time, getting the Tories dancing to his tune.”
Bravo Nick.
Perhaps Mr Harvey should take some tips from his colleague Tessa Munt, who at least had a go at making up her own creative metaphor minutes later on the same show.
"There are many ways in which we can skin the energy cat," the Wells MP said, before adding: “That’s not a very nice way of putting it, is it?”
