Lines of Operation

[The Pap]

Presley, (this is me, ChrisPaparone talking from my home account)

Ohhhhhhhhhh, Yes, yes indeed! Some writers have called this metaphorical reasoning (Lakoff and Johnson).

Many (if not all) of our military concepts were "displaced" from physical root meanings. For example "leadership" originated from a physical arrangement (e.g., a line with a lead person who is showing the way to others from one point to another). Clausewitz's "schwerpunkt" (center of gravity/focal point) was analogically based in the physics of his time. Over the long haul, we abstract root metaphors (extending and eventually displacing them -- resulting in a "dead metaphor"). Some would argue this is the essence of creativity.

See a piece that was published a while back in MILREV on the subject as it pertains to military lingo: http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/..._metaphors.pdf

Are you a believer in (or at least support) this explanation?
Best,
Chris