I'm thinking about our penchant for likening the shape of a human body to the shape of an inanimate object. This doesn't seem to be quite right. Isn't it dehumanizing to hear a body referred to as "pear-shaped?" Is it really shaped like a pear?
My proposition is that we liken the shape, any shape, of the human body to the shape of another living, breathing, moving thing. People aren't ever shaped like apples. They are, occasionally, shaped like seals or blowfish.
The "pear" is now a "kangaroo." (It's more stylish, no?) The "hourglass" becomes the "horse" (slightly less glamorous but, hey: Take one for the team).
"Stick/ruler-shaped?" No, he's shaped like a snake (or grasshopper, ferret or meerkat).
I can't readily think of a replacement for the "V shape" reference. Warthog?
