They really can hold their water
Posted: October 24, 2013 Filed under: FOOD, water | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, hold their own, hold water, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, Waterboy, words 2 CommentsWe’re not talking camels here, but a sports description. The speaker has mixed “hold their own” (do as well as anyone else), the phrase the speaker meant to say, and “not hold water” (an argument or opinion that can be shown to be wrong). Perhaps the speaker was also thinking of those folks that literally hold water for athletes, such as The Waterboy? A big thanks to Justin Taylor, who certainly does not need to hold water for anyone, for sending this one in!
I think that “he carried their water” meaning to do the hard work is in there, too.
Yes, that sounds plausible.