You’re making a really significant risk

This was from a headline in the Washington Post: “Fauci warns states rushing to reopen: ‘You’re making a really significant risk.”  This is a mashup of “making a mistake” (to do something incorrectly) and “taking a risk” (doing something with a high probability of a negative outcome).  “Taking” and “making” are mixed up here.   https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/01/fauci-open-states-coronavirus/

A big thanks to Barry Eigen for spotting this subtle one.

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2 Comments on “You’re making a really significant risk”

  1. SallyAA says:

    This sounds like catching a slip – as if he started to say exactly what he thought, then thought better of it in mid phrase

  2. davemalaphor says:

    probably so. Freudian malaphor?


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