'It was a general metaphorical statement.'

He takes everything said to him totally literally and is entirely unaware of what is intended when a metaphorical statement is made.

Now when you say 'bite my head off,' I take it I can assume that this is actually some kind of metaphorical statement, implying that you'll shout at me, perhaps rather angrily?

Nor is this a metaphorical statement.

Restate the above metaphorical statements in simpler language.

"That is no metaphorical statement," he said.

The director said that while he intentionally blurred fact and fiction, his purpose was to make things as real as possible, not to make some large metaphorical statement.

In southern Unkerlant, with winter coming on fast, that could easily be a literal as well as a metaphorical statement.

Clearly, to the extent that clarity is to be gleaned in Ms. Ackermann's play, this is meant as a metaphorical statement about men's and women's roles.

That was a metaphorical statement to denote strong agreement.