Many European countries are currently witnessing an increased development and expansion of continuing higher education at universities. In Germany, this development has until now been rather modest in comparison to countries such as England, France, Finland and the United States. The status of continuing education still seems just as unclear as the actual management of the implementation processes, something that is evident not least in the language or linguistic expressions used by those responsible for implementing continuing higher education. Systematically analysing language, and in particular metaphors, allows us to illuminate how meaning is attributed, and the challenges faced, by those implementing continuing higher education at universities. Based on two case studies from Germany, this paper demonstrates which perspectives and problems can lie hidden behind metaphors, and which effects this can have on how the implementation of continuing higher education is perceived and shaped.