Figurative Language versus Literal Language

Figurative Language versus Literal Language
Figurative language, which is also referred to as a “figure of speech”, is language that utilizes a description to provide an expression of a person’s emotion. Figurative language contains words that are descriptive whereas literal words are expressed so that someone ones exactly what is meant. Below I will describe a few figurative words followed by an example. Idiom
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally, like “bought the farm” has nothing to do with purchasing real estate, but refers to dying (examples.yourdictionary.com). Another example would be “high as a kite” which would mean you are drunk or on drugs. Someone who isn’t familiar with this phrase could interpret it to mean someone or something is up in the air.
Analogy
Analogy is defined as either a metaphor (different) or a simile (same). It’s the similarity or comparability of two things. An example of an analogy is “She is as quiet as a church mouse” the reference to the mouse being unheard is the similarity to her being quite.
Metaphor
Metaphors are an analogy where two unlike things are compared but have something in common. It sounds like you are stating a fact, but you have to think about it for it to make sense. An example of a metaphor would be you are the wind beneath my wings” you are not saying that a person can actually be wind. Instead, you are referring to the support you get from that person (examples.yourdictionary.com).

Simile
Simile is an expression that compares two things and explicitly contains either “like” or “as” to highlight the likeness. An example would be “clean as a whistle” which is used to describe someone that is well kept, flawless or free from guilt.
Cliché
A cliché or cliché is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” is an example of a cliché. This means that if two people who love each other are separated, the separation is likely to intensify their love for each other.
Amphiboly
An amphiboly occurs when the construction of a sentence allows it to have two different meanings. Teenagers shouldn't be allowed to drive. It's getting too dangerous on the streets. This could be taken to mean the teenagers will be in danger, or that they will cause the danger.
“Flame Word”
Flame words often trigger emotions and should be used with caution especially when having a conversation with people of different race. Flame words often have different connotation to different people and hearing them may bring out emotions that can escalate to conflict (Kirby, G.R., & Goodpaster, J.R. (2007). Thinking (4th ed.). For example, the word “nigga” brings in racial tensions. Cultures outside the African American communities may see it as slang especially as it is casually used in conversations between African Americans in films and TV portrayals. However, using it while not having the ethnic background can raise emotions especially among African Americans as they see it offensive. The word stupid, incompetent, are other examples of flame words.
Hyperbole
A hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. For example, “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse” some people would view the term as starving that you would eat anything or “this book weighs a ton” describes how heavy the book is. Both examples are an exaggerated form of figure of speech used to prove a point.
Euphemism
Euphemism would be the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. An example of that would be “Cougar” used to describe older single women who wish to date younger men.
Colloquialism
Colloquialism is a grammatical expression that is only acceptable in casual conversation. It refers to language patterns or phrases that are indicative to a particular region or people. For example, words such as “ain’t, y’all, fin to and wanna” all are considered grammatically incorrect expression which can be identified by a particular region or people.
In conclusion, figurative language is helpful in providing excitement and colorful flavor to an otherwise basic conversation. However, there is a need to definitely know your audience to prevent miscommunication.

References: Kirby, G.R., & Goodpaster, J.R. (2007). Thinking (4th ed.). (Edition for Strayer University) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. | www.merriam-webster.com www.grammar.about.com
www.example.yourdictionary.com