It’s music to my eyes
Posted: February 28, 2014 Filed under: BODY PARTS, ear, eye | Tags: ears, expressions, eyes, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, music to my ears, sight for sore eyes, words 4 CommentsThe exact quote is “any fine gold in there would be music to my eyes”, recently heard on the show “Gold Rush” last Sunday. Given the context, the mash up is “music to my ears” (make someone happy) and “a sight for sore eyes” (a welcome sight), both describing the speaker’s emotions. As we have learned, mixing body parts is common in malaphors. A big shout out to Michael Ameel for hearing (and seeing) this one!
That really took the starch out of my sails
Posted: February 25, 2014 Filed under: sails, starch, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, humor, knocked the starch out of me, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, take the wind out of my sails, words Leave a commentThis is a conflation of several phrases. The speaker was talking about his near death experience while cycling, so “it knocked the starch out of me” (to be beat up severely) may be in the mix, but I think the better phrase is “it took the starch out of me” (it made me tired or weak) as he was scared. The other phrase is probably “it knocked the wind out of my sails” (heavy blow to the body) rather than “taking the wind out of my sails” (challenging someone’s boasting or arrogance). A big shout out to Tom Justice for sending this one in!
Put the metal on the gas
Posted: February 22, 2014 Filed under: pedal | Tags: blended idioms, congruent conflation, expressions, gas, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, pedal, pedal to the metal, step on the gas, words 2 CommentsThis is a congruent conflation of “put the pedal to the metal” and “step on the gas”, both meaning to speed up. I heard this one on a tv sports show uttered by Wally Szczerbiak. He was discussing at halftime that the team behind needed to step it up.
That will bring some skeletons crawling out of the woodwork
Posted: February 17, 2014 Filed under: closet, crawl, woodwork | Tags: blended idioms, closet, crawling out of the woodwork, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, skeletons, skeletons in the closet, woodwork, words 1 CommentThis is a delightful mixture of “skeletons in the closet” (secrets) and “crawling out of the woodwork” (secrets coming out in the open). The confusion lies in the two phrases referring to secrets and exposing them. I heard this in a conversation but I cannot reveal the source as I was sworn to secrecy. We can’t have these malaphors crawling out of the woodwork, can we?
We have so many hurdles to cross
Posted: February 15, 2014 Filed under: hoops, hurdles, PLACES, river, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, clear hurdles, crossing the rubicon, expressions, humor, Jimmy Cliff, jump through hoops, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, rivers to cross, words Leave a commentThis is a mash up of “clear a hurdle” (overcome an obstacle) and I think “rivers to cross” , borrowed from the great Jimmy Cliff song “Many Rivers to Cross”, based on the context of the malaphor. “Crossed the Rubicon” (taken action with no return) also comes to mind. “Jumping through hoops” (to do extra things to get what you want) might also be in the mix, confusing hoops and hurdles. Thanks to Sam Edelmann for spotting this one!
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