Grammar

1.65 metaphorical uses

Nouns which are being used metaphorically often have a modifier or qualifier to indicate what is really being referred to.

...the maze of politics.
He has been prepared to sacrifice this company on the altar of his own political ambitions.
He has worked out a scheme for an economic lifeline by purchasing land.
Lloyd's of London is the heart of the world's insurance industry.
...those on the lower rungs of the professional ladder.