Grumpy Man Metaphor

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melaniehoo

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I'm stuck on a metaphor and would appreciate your thoughts.

This scene takes place at the US/Mexican border. My dad and I had been driving for 2 days, the car loaded to the top with all my belongings, and we were told that in order to legalize the car, I had to drive it across the border empty. My dad was pissed, to put it mildly, and had the job of watching all my crap while I drove back across the border.

The line in question:

My dad dragged a metal stool next to the pile of boxes and sat with a thud, a grumpy king overseeing his subjects.


Some thoughts I've had but don't love:
warden/prisoners
master/slaves
lord (or baron)/serfs

The point is he's mad at the boxes and they're making his life more difficult, so I'd like to stay within those parameters.

Thanks everyone!
 

Voyager

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Like a miser watching over his pennies?
 

dpaterso

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Grumpy king seems right... maybe some variant along the lines of king of the mountain... the mountain of boxes, that is.

-Derek
 

IceCreamEmpress

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I like "a grumpy czar overseeing his serfs".
 

WendyNYC

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I like shepard/flock too. He's really just babysitting the boxes, making sure no one steals them, right?
 

Voyager

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But the boxes don't have their tails pinned up.
 

maestrowork

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shepherd/flock works if that's the sentiment you want to convey: that is, if he's guarding the pile while being grumpy about it... otherwise, grumpy king/gold works, too, if the pile is of value to him...
 

Tiger

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I understood his grumpiness to be the result of his having to do something he didn't want--or felt he shouldn't have to do.

Personally, I'd describe his face and posture as that of a senior secret service agent assigned to look after the Vice President's nephew's daughter's best friend's pet chihuahua--because the rest of the team is out investigating a false alarm.
 

melaniehoo

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shepherd/flock works if that's the sentiment you want to convey: that is, if he's guarding the pile while being grumpy about it... otherwise, grumpy king/gold works, too, if the pile is of value to him...

I don't think he valued my stuff much at that point. lol. No, he's a good father & was there to help - he was angry we had to unload & waste so much time before getting back on the road. We still had 2 days of driving ahead of us.

I think HE'D like it if I called him a king. :)

The lines prior to this says:

He spent a good two hours in the garage Sunday night, forcing the boxes to submit to his will and sit quietly without any complaints. After ten minutes those same boxes were scattered across one corner of the pavement, arguing amongst themselves.
 

melaniehoo

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I understood his grumpiness to be the result of his having to do something he didn't want--or felt he shouldn't have to do.

Personally, I'd describe his face and posture as that of a senior secret service agent assigned to look after the Vice President's nephew's daughter's best friend's pet chihuahua--because the rest of the team is out investigating a false alarm.

THAT is fricking funny!
 

dolores haze

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The lines prior to this says:

He spent a good two hours in the garage Sunday night, forcing the boxes to submit to his will and sit quietly without any complaints. After ten minutes those same boxes were scattered across one corner of the pavement, arguing amongst themselves.


This does make the boxes sound like children, so the nanny/babysitter one works for me. It's even funnier if the nanny is big and burly and grumpy.
 

Tiger

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I might also add that he's so pissed at this assignment that he's got the pooch curled up in a shoe and trembling.... But, that'd be stretching the already too long metaphor around yet another corner. :D
 
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