head over teacups
Posted: June 8, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Andy Hallet, Angel, ass over teacups, expressions, head over heels, humor, Lorne, malaphor, words 1 CommentThis was uttered by the green horned demon Lorne on the t.v. show Angel. He was commenting on how things were even more chaotic than usual. This is a mashup of “head over heels” (completely, thoroughly) and “ass over teacups” (flipped upside down). This is an interesting mix, as “head over heels” literally means flipped upside down, or “ass over teacups”. Also, the word “over” is used in both expressions, contributing to the mixup. A big thanks to John Kooser who heard this one and reported it immediately.
Malaphors 
A malaphor my friend unintentionally came up with while describing an awkward date in writing. In context,
“I love the mountains so much, especially at night,” she said, trying to lighten the elephant in the room.
The two origins are most likely the elephant in the room-an awkward, undisscussed thing and lightening the mood-trying to cheer everyone up.