Don't Strain Your Metaphors

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Don't Strain Your Metaphors is an achievement in Halo: The Master Chief Collection. It is unlocked by beating the 14,000 point par score on the level Uplift Reserve. The achievement is worth 10 gamerpoints. Though it can theoretically be unlocked on any difficulty, more points are awarded in campaign scoring when playing on higher difficulties.

Tips

Players can earn significant points by destroying unoccupied Covenant vehicles as the game does not differentiate between piloted and empty vehicles; Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST are the only games in the Master Chief Collection with this campaign scoring quirk.

Trivia

The name of the achievement is a reference to a line spoken in the level by Chips Dubbo, who tells the Wounded Marine, "Careful. I think you just strained a metaphor."

v • d • e

Achievements in Halo: The Master Chief Collection (list)

v • d • e

Campaign

LASO Master • Life Story • Balaho's Most Wanted • The One Percent • Spoilsport • Going Bananas • Hunters Hunted • Checkmate • I Was Wondering What Would Break First • Pest Control • Delicious Brains • The Guardians Are Coming • Mystery Achievement • Herald of the Reclamation • Veteran • War Hero • Legend • Throne of Bones • Gruntageddon • Were It So Easy • Scavenger Hunt • Dankey Kang • Wyrmslayer • Remove the Bishops From the Board • Knightbane • Dogcatcher • Zombie Repeller • Standard Operating Brocedure • Brovershield • Bro Hammer • Lore Master • I Dabble in Slaying • Sample Plate • No Pain, No Gain

v • d • e Multiplayer

Tempered Blade • Contender • Forged in Fire • Sharpshooter • In It To Win It • Battle Hardened • Thermopylae • Striking Fear in Their Hearts • Steady Aim • Quick Trigger Finger • Multiplayer Champion • Nice Work Dawg! • Aim for the Head • Dim Mak • Domination • Double Trouble • Spree Master • Catch This • Party Pooper • Planting A Flag • The True King

v • d • e

General

Just Getting Started • Foe Hammer • Thanks A Killion • Your Journey Begins • Where Am I? • Game On • I Got This • Can't Put It Down • Bonus Level • Up All Night • Can't Get Enough • Committed • Big Time Gamer • Long Time Fan • The Long Haul • Just A Taste • All Out of Bubblegum • A Pile of Medals • A Crate of Medals • A Heap of Medals • A Few Trinkets • Oh, These Baubles? • Chesty Puller Starter Kit • Medal Master Chief • The Good, The Bad, and The Dead • Medal Completionist • Stick With It...A Little Longer • Game Master • Master Forger • Bite The Hand

v • d • e Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

Campaign completion	Pillar of Autumn • Halo • Truth and Reconciliation • The Silent Cartographer • Assault on the Control Room • 343 Guilty Spark • The Library • Two Betrayals • Keyes • The Maw • Greenhorn • Birth of a Spartan • Believe in a Hero • Living Legend

Campaign scoring	Didn't Like This Ship Anyways • Flyover Country • You Can't Handle the Truth • Hit The Beach • Would It've Killed You To Take The Elevator • Lightning in a Bottle • TLDR • Whistle Stop Tour • Scurty Bump • All You Can Eat • Did Somebody Say... • Pillar of Awesome • Giant Hula Hoop • You Really Can't Handle the Truth • Charted • Vetro Strike • Circuit Breaker • Reading Room • It Was Inevitable • Headstrong • Consumption Junction • Overachiever

Collectibles	Arrival • Sacrifice • Splinters • Idle Hands • Hitchhikers May Be Escaping Convicts • Bearly Contained • Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? • Memories • Mind Games • Kilotons of Fun • Dear Diary... • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Iron • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Mythic • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Boom • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Foreign • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Famine • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Bandana • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Fog • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Malfunction • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Recession • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Black Eye • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Eye Patch • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Pinata • Skulltaker Halo: CE: Grunt Birthday Party • Headhunter

Easter eggs	Madrigal Debut • My Buddy Chips • No Smoking • T-Rex • Thirsty Grunt • Megg

Miscellaneous	A Day To Remember • Back In The Day • You Are The Weapon • Get Me Out of Here! • Feet Firmly Planted • Pacifist • Before and After • He's Unstoppable! • Overshields are for Sissies • Walk It Off • No-Fly Zone • How Pedestrian • Close Quarters Combat • That Just Happened • Look Out for the Little Guys • Leave It Where It Lay • All According to Plan... • Beachhead • Wraith Hunter • Tying Up Loose Ends • This Side Up • Goat Roped • Airborne • Sightseeing • Checking Out Your Options • A Fine Choice • Excellent Taste • Like a Fine Wine

v • d • e Halo 2: Anniversary campaign

Campaign completion	Cairo Station • Outskirts • Metropolis • The Arbiter • Oracle • Delta Halo • Regret • Sacred Icon • Quarantine Zone • Gravemind • Uprising • High Charity • The Great Journey • Big Green Style • Warrior • Hero • Legendary Anniversary

Campaign scoring	Don't Hangar Around • Rooftop Runner • Speeding Ticket • YOLO Strats • Reed the Strategy • So You Don't Want the Tank? • I Regret Nothing • Terminal Velocity • Hot Zone • Force of Will • No Man's Land • Feeling Charitable • Are We There Yet? • Going Nowhere Fast • Bomb Squad • Objective Secured • Ripple Fire • Heresy Will Not Stay My Feet • Leave None Alive • Boundless • Fists of Fury • Guided Tour • The Doctor Is In • Official Business • The Hype Is Real • Scorched Earth • Frequent Flyer Miles • Arcade Owner

Collectibles	Curious • Inquisitive • Examiner • Inspector • Fascinated • Enchanted • Enamored • Determined • Delighted • Knowledgable • Scholar • Reviewer • Obsessed • Walking Encyclopedia • Skulltaker Halo 2: That's Just... Wrong • Skulltaker Halo 2: Thunderstorm • Skulltaker Halo 2: Blind • Skulltaker Halo 2: IWHBYD • Skulltaker Halo 2: Catch • Skulltaker Halo 2: Grunt Birthday Party • Skulltaker Halo 2: Famine • Skulltaker Halo 2: Envy • Skulltaker Halo 2: Assassins • Skulltaker Halo 2: Mythic • Skulltaker Halo 2: Sputnik • Skulltaker Halo 2: Anger • Skulltaker Halo 2: Ghost • Skulltaker Halo 2: Iron • Skulltaker Halo 2: Black Eye • Trophy Collector • And So It Begins... • Regrettable Turn of Events • The Will of the Prophets • Chieftain of the Brutes • Don't Make a Girl a Promise • My Work is Done • I Like Crazy • Pyrrhic Solution • Toybox

Easter eggs	The Return of Megg • Cowardly Grunt • Siege of Ivory Tower • THE Chips Dubbo? • Rex Sword • 10 Minutes Too Early • He's Running a Marathon... • HI BEN • E E E • GOOOAAAAALLLL! • Scarab Lord • Destination vacation • Why So Serious • Why Am I Here? • Animal Habitat • Sid Graffiti

Miscellaneous	Back At It • Six Pedals, Four Directions • Betcha can't stick it... • Needs More Whammy Bar • Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate • Starved For Shields • Tighten Up The Graphics • Commuter • He Never Gets Me Anything • Silent But Deadly • Demon • Go Ape Shiv • Dirty Bird • Back for More • Monopolized • Tourist • Window Shopping • Seconds • Connoisseur

v • d • e Halo 2 Anniversary multiplayer

Invaders Repelled • Triple Threat • Bombing Run • Cold Fusion • Counter-Sniped • Eminent Domain • Stayin' Alive • Top Gungoose • The Goose is Loose • Shook the Hornet's Nest • Skeet Shooter • Red vs. Blue • Cold as Ice • Power Play • Shields Up! • Wetwork • MVP • Grand Theft Halo • Tour of Duty • Double Down • Warden • Blown Out of the Sky • Decorated Warrior • Ninja Redux • Flaming Ninja Anniversary • Legend Slayer • Zealot • Put Up Your Dukes • Roadkill Rampage • Rock and Coil Hit Back

BLAST Soda	Bloody Thirsty! • Thirst Locked Down! • Rule Your Thirst! • High Altitude Thirst! • Worship Your Thirst! • Gate Your Thirst! • BLASTacular! • Monumental Thirst!

v • d • e Halo 3

Campaign completion	Landfall • Holdout • The Road • Assault • Cleansing • Refuge • Last Stand • The Key • Return • Training Wheels • Prophet's Bane • With Your Shield or On It • Finished the Fight

Campaign scoring	Speedy One One Seven • Time Shift • Highway Robbery • Lightning Strike • Dambuster • Waypoint • Scarab Slide • Making History • Go, Chief! Gun It! • Speed Demon • Guerilla • King of the Crows • Cavalier • Askar • Exterminator • Ranger • Vanguard • Orpheus • Torchbearer • Better With Age

Collectibles	Rising Waters • Inundation • Before the Fire • Tipping Point • Unto Dust • Babbling Dead • Sword and Shield • The Coin's Fault • Whispers Across the Galaxy • No Stone Unturned • Skulltaker Halo 3: Iron • Skulltaker Halo 3: Black Eye • Skulltaker Halo 3: Tough Luck • Skulltaker Halo 3: Catch • Skulltaker Halo 3: Fog • Skulltaker Halo 3: Famine • Skulltaker Halo 3: Thunderstorm • Skulltaker Halo 3: Tilt • Skulltaker Halo 3: Mythic • Skulltaker Halo 3: Blind • Skulltaker Halo 3: Grunt Birthday Party • Skulltaker Halo 3: Cowbell • Skulltaker Halo 3: IWHBYD • Witch Doctor • Assembly Skull • Orbital Skull • Sandbox Skull • Citadel Skull • Heretic Skull • Longshore Skull • Brainpan

Easter eggs	Dirge of Madrigal • Missing Link • Primate • Haplorrhini • Can't Keep Him Down • Flipyap • Heading to his Destiny • Sounds Familiar • Milk Carton • Cool Story Bro • Man on the Moon • Hippo Hero • Elder Signs

Miscellaneous	Third Time's A Charm • Mind the Gap • Begins with a Single Step • Who Needs Them? • Phantom Hunter • Annual • A Preference for Pain • Devastating • World Traveler • Just Browsing • Boot Camp Hero • Aficiando

v • d • e Halo 3: ODST

Campaign completion	Junior Detective • Investigator • Gumshoe • Bloodhound • Private Eye • Secret Agent • Tayari Plaza • Uplift Reserve • Kizingo Boulevard • ONI Alpha Site • NMPD HQ • Kikowani Station • Data Hive • Coastal Highway • Rookie • Urban Warfare Badge • First In, Last Out • Mean Streets of New Mombasa

Campaign scoring	Bill Past Due • Floor It! • An Artist's Canvas • A Pleasant Trip • First Stop: Anywhere But Here! • Feet Don't Fail Me Now • Overtaken By Events • Double Time! • Can't Stop Here, This is Brute Country • Survey Says... • Don't Strain Your Metaphors • Son of a Gun • I Love My Job • Pour It On • Squid Jackpot! • Magic Touch • This Oliphant Has No Brakes • The Marine Corps Gives Its Regards

Collectibles	Listener • An Ear Full • Tuned In • Do Tell • Hear Me Out • Eavesdropping • Auditor • Overheard • Wiretapping • Monitored • Hang Onto My Words • Give Heed • Get A Load • Snoop Troop • All Ears • Ear Bender • Plugged In • Attentive • Watchful • Observant • Scout • Adventurer • Spotter • Considerate • On Your Toes • Archivist • Your Attention Please • Catching On • Wisening Up • Audiophile • Record Store Owner

Easter eggs	One Got Away • Like a Broken Record • Vandalized • Saturday Morning Cartoon • Two Places, Same Time

Miscellaneous	Do You Remember When We Met • Naughty Naughty • Well... Maybe One or Two • Déjà Vu • Safety Not Guaranteed • Nagato Makes Moving Easy • Classic • Catch 'Em Napping • Strong, Silent Type • Bip! Bap! BAM! • Pineapple Express • Fowl Hunt • Does Whatever a Spartan Can? • Firefly • "BLAM" Said The Lady! • One Way Ride • Just Sayin...I Ain't Dead • Deference of Darkness • Those Left Behind • Shoot and Scoot • Fast and Low • Shiny... • Bits and Pieces • What About Those Tanks? • Xenophobia • NEXT! • Trifecta

v • d • e Halo 4

Campaign completion	Dawn • Requiem • Forerunner • Infinity • Reclaimer • Shutdown • Composer • Midnight • Librarian's Gift • Wake Up, John • I Need a Hero • The Legend of 117 • Lone Wolf Legend • Operation Completion • Departure • Artifact • Catherine • Didact's Hand • Memento Mori • Scattered • Invasion • Expendable • Key • Exodus • Feet First • Term of Enlistment • Hazard Pay • Icarus • Smooth Operator

Campaign scoring	Piece of Cake • Interloper • Raging in the Dark • Ouroboros • Gimme That • Shut. Down. Everything. • Symphony of Pain • Countdown • Easy As One Two Three • Gunslinger • Dark Fortress • Shadow of Sundered Star • Jungle Warfare • Librarian's Pet • Emergency Shutdown • Head Banging • Witching Hour • You Had it Coming

Collectibles	War • Lord of Admirals • Charum Hakkor • Flood • Knights • Justice • Cryptum • Terminus

Easter eggs	Digging up the Past • Roses vs Violets

Miscellaneous	A Long Time Ago • This is my Rifle, this is my Gun • Bros to the Close • Mortardom • Explore the Floor • Give Him the Stick • Chief, Smash! • You're No Chips • Naked Tyrant • Devotee • Chest of Gold • You're Joking • No One Left Behind • Knight in White Assassination • What Power Outage? • No Easy Way Out • Going International • Taste Test

v • d • e Halo: Reach

Campaign completion	We're Just Getting Started • Protocol Dictates Action • I Need A Weapon • To War • You Flew Pretty Good • Into The Howling Dark • Dust And Echoes • This Is Not Your Grave • Send Me Out... With A Bang • Welcome to Reach • The Soldier We Need You To Be • Folks Need Heroes... • Gods Must Be Strong • A Monument To All Your Sins

Campaign time	Winter Urgency • Just Like Storming a Castle • Now Just You Gúta Minute • Generous Tipper • Sabre Metrics • Quicker Than Reading the Book • One For the Record Books • Speedy Delivery • Wait, How'd the Ship Get Down Here? • Fast Fall

Campaign score	Ice In Your Veins • Still Sharp • Moon's Out, Goons Out • Bake That Cake • Insomnia • Parting the Sea • Nine Lives Are a Myth • How Did I Lose All My Fingers? • Precious Cargo • We'll Be Back • Left Behind • One Final Firefight

Collectibles	Hey, You Dropped This • Read Halsey's Journal • Meeting of the (Artificial) Minds • Rampant Speculation • Minority Report • Info Dump • Paper Trail • Terminal Conditions • Digital Destinies • Clear and Present Danger • Unreliable Narrator • What Does It All Mean? • Unsolved Mysteries • Meddling and Madness • The Answer is Simple • Of Patience and Partiality • Curious Composition • Silent Shepherds • Assembled the Majority • Yes No You Decide • Canonical Conundrum

Easter eggs	Forza in the Fall • HBOrg Special • Play Us a Sad Song, Claude • We're Gonna Need a Bigger Ship • Front Page News • The Humble Beginnings of Wiljax Brantley • Did You Major in Marine Bio? • Fly, You Fools! • This is Not the Greatest Lab in the World… • Jorge Can't Have All the Big Guns • I'm Sorry, Dave • Collection Eligibility Confirmed • Mind the Skill Gap • Easy to Overlook • New Ways to Save a Quid • Confused Callouts • No Picnic • What About Bob?

Miscellaneous	T'vaoan Terminator • Chol Von's Not Gonna Like This • Keep It Clean • They've Always Been Faster • Wake Up Buttercup • Two Corpses In One Grave • Your Heresy Will Stay Your Feet • I Didn't Train To Be A Pilot • Tank Beats Everything • Swift and Shallow • Why Do This To Yourself? • Reach Has Been Good to Me • Who Needs Red Flag? • Remember Reach • Keep Your Foot on the Pedrogas • Enemies Everywhere! • Negative, Ghostrider • Skunked • Workers' Compensation • Capacious Cartography • Requiescat in Pace • Run and Gunned • Game Breaker • Because It Wasn't Hard Enough • Classic Completion

Don't Strain Your Metaphors

Tips

Trivia

Contribute

Recent contributors to this article