The problem's actually with it and its sister article, Tastes Like Feet. Tastes Like Purple claims examples such as "it tastes like death" or "it tastes like blue" belong at It Tastes Like Feet, and that Tastes Like Purple's only for synesthesia-type situations, such as a character literally being able to taste purple, or see sound or what have you. Meanwhile It Tastes Like Feet states that examples such as "it tastes like blue" belong on the former page.

So, what, if anything should be done?

edited 14th Aug '12 1:53:58 PM by Wulf

If I understand it right, Tastes Like Purple is what you cannot taste, and Tastes Like Feet is what you shouldn't know the taste of.

The descriptions could be clearer, but the definitions don't seem that bad. If I'm correct.

That's the impression I get, but this hottipped paragraph in Tastes Like Purple:

(bolded for emphasis)

Explicitly disallows quite a few examples from Tastes Like Feet that don't belong on that page either. Assuming, of course, we want to consider those examples of either at all.

The problem is not It Tastes Like Feet. This trope is clearly about comparing the taste of something to a existing taste you shouldn't know. And most of the examples fit the description.

The problem is more how far Tastes Like Purple is limited. Quit a lot of the examples on the page are metaphorical and not about synesthesia.

I suggest changing the link of the thread to the page with problems and not the one which is fine.

Very well. Editing the OP as well

Clocking.

Hmm, I think metaphor should be allowed when it refers to synesthesia-like experiences. Someone saying "smells like starlight" would count, even though it may be poetic rather than actual synesthesia, because it's suggesting a sort of synesthesia. On the other hand, someone saying "tastes like brown" to suggest that the taste is similar to dirt or excrement would not, and should go under Tastes Like Feet. And saying something "tastes like purple" to mean "tastes like grape" would not be an example of either trope.

You know, I'd almost support renaming this to Synesthesia, were the term not a bit obscure.

I've seen colors used to describe non-visual experiences. For example, I think one of the Narnia books mentions a "dim, purple sort of smell." It isn't always clear from context whether it's synaesthesia or bizarre metaphors or things that smell or taste like abstract things that shouldn't have a smell, but do anyway because A Wizard Did It.

Right; "it isn't always clear" is an excellent reason to not limit this to actual synesthesia.

But isn't clinical synesthesia a more extreme form of this? It's normal to cross-reference the senses for something we aren't familiar with or just lack the vocabulary.

But synesthesia isn't a metaphor. Folks with that actually do taste purple.

Another reason is that actual examples of real synesthesia are probably very rare in media.

edited 20th Oct '12 9:12:00 AM by ArcadesSabboth

Seconded.

Stale with expired clock, sending to the morgue.