we might well slay our nightmares.....

[keannu]

Does this "nightmares" mean our worry or thought suggesitve of a real nightmare or a monster or evil spirit believed to oppress persons during sleep or whatever? What do you think it exactly means?

ex)Even though I am intrigued with the yeti, both for its scientific importance and for what it says about our own interests and biases, I would be deeply saddened to have it discovered. If it were to be found and captured, studied and confined, we might well slay our nightmares.....

[emsr2d2]

Does this "nightmares" mean our worry or thought suggesitve of a real nightmare or a monster or evil spirit believed to oppress persons during sleep or whatever? What do you think it exactly means?

ex)Even though I am intrigued with the yeti, both for its scientific importance and for what it says about our own interests and biases, I would be deeply saddened to have it discovered. If it were to be found and captured, studied and confined, we might well slay our nightmares.....

I've never heard of a nightmare being a monster or evil spirit. In BrE at least, a nightmare is a frightening dream, no matter what the content. I think it just means that it would be a bad thing to catch the yeti as it (and perhaps other things like it) provides great content for nightmares. The monster itself isn't the nightmare - it might be the subject of a nightmare.

In recent years "nightmare" has started to be used as a noun for very annoying or irritating people ("My cousin is a complete nightmare. He just shouts all the time.") or even as an adjective ("I have a nightmare assignment to complete by tomorrow evening.")

[keannu]

I've never heard of a nightmare being a monster or evil spirit. In BrE at least, a nightmare is a frightening dream, no matter what the content. I think it just means that it would be a bad thing to catch the yeti as it (and perhaps other things like it) provides great content for nightmares. The monster itself isn't the nightmare - it might be the subject of a nightmare.

In recent years "nightmare" has started to be used as a noun for very annoying or irritating people ("My cousin is a complete nightmare. He just shouts all the time.") or even as an adjective ("I have a nightmare assignment to complete by tomorrow evening.")

If catching yeti becomes a nightmare, why did it say "slay=kill nightmare" instead of "making a nightmare"?