water hyacinths are choking Lake Victoria

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An example of metaphor in science journalism:

"The water hyacinths in Lake Victoria are literally [sic] choking that lake…"

BBC Inside Science

Gaia Vince was presenting an episode ('What's the cost of invasive species?') of BBC Inside Science

Although Gaia Vince suggests she is not using the term 'choking' as figurative language, it is difficult to understand how a lake can 'literally' be choked.

[Please be aware that a word may have different nuances, or even a different meaning, according to context.]« Back to Index