Abstract
This article details a study of metaphor production by 64 same-gender dyads engaged in 2 persuasive conversations over chat software. Dyads were comprised of friends or strangers. Overall, men produced more metaphor than women, especially slang. Metaphor production differed by gender as a function of friendship status: Men produced the same amount of metaphor when chatting with a friend or a stranger whereas women produced more metaphor when talking to friends. The more literal conversations observed between female strangers may reflect a selective use of metaphor to avoid miscommunication. For men, these data may suggest a willingness to risk being misunderstood for certain benefits, including being humorous and engaging in competitive one-upmanship with other men.
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