Loose cannons sink ships

A very wise spin instructor unintentionally uttered this incongruent conflation, fusing two idioms with different meanings into one perfect thought.  It is a mash up of “loose cannon” (a person whose actions are unpredictable and uncontrollable) and “loose lips sink ships” (don’t talk carelessly because you don’t know who’s listening).  This phrase might describe some of this year’s U.S. Presidential candidates.   The mix up is prompted by the associated words “cannons” and “ships”.   A big thank you to Jackie Frederick for sending this one in!

No relevance to the malaphor, but I have attached a poster of the movie “Loose Cannons” starring Dan Aykroyd and Gene Hackman.  Fun fact: the movie has the dubious distinction of getting a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

If you enjoyed this malaphor, pick up a copy of my book, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon for the cheap price of 6.99!! Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652205.  Guaranteed at least three laughs or your money back!