Headache
A somewhat unclear hierarchy among the hockey team exists in which some players are frogs and others are tadpoles. While trying to figure out the intricacies of what differentiates “true frogs” from “the frogs” which still allows “true frogs” to be called “tadpoles” a player turns to simile to express frustration. “Oh no, it’s like I ate ice cream too fast.” The reference here is to an ice cream headache. His head is beginning to hurt due to the process of consuming on this confusing terminology at once.
Fireworks
The narrator, Bitty, very early in the novel is confessing that he is “seeing someone.” He is thinking back to when that special someone visited him on Independence Day. In between the text box narrating the holiday part and the text box confessing he is seeing someone are fireworks exploding in the night sky on the fourth of July. Fireworks are, of course, a longstanding and traditional metaphor for implying the passion of a romance.
Agreement
Bitty asserts in his narration that he and Jack are thinking the same way about their relationship. “Me and my partner are on the same page because we find ourselves talking so much.” Being on the same page is a metaphor for having the same views toward a subject that could theoretically produce polar opposite perspectives. Bitty is not just asserting simple agreement, but implying a strong romantic attachment.
Teammates
The story revolves around hockey and the concept of the bond of teammates is very important. One character tells another, “You’re gonna have a lot more people in your corner than you think.” Having people in your corner is a metaphorical way of saying that a group of people are supporting your actions or decisions even if they are unpopular. The idea of supporting people despite personal issues is integral to the foundation of the story being about teammates watching out for each other.
Exciting Game
Metaphor is introduced into the story through sports lingo. One character describes a hockey game as a “full-out barn burner.” The phrase “barn burner” is metaphorical for a very exciting event that ignites excitement among spectators. The connection may be between the fact that a fire in a barn would be exciting to watch and require tremendous energy to put out.
