I don’t have any horse in the game

Was Dr. Fauci thinking of the America song, “Horse with No Name?”  I don’t know, but this was uttered by Dr. Fauci at a Congressional hearing held this week.  It is a perfectly formed congruent conflation of “no skin in the game” and “no horse in this race”, both expressions meaning when one is not invested in the outcome.  A race is a game so this seems to be the reason for the mixup.  Also, horseshoes is a game so that might have been on the speaker’s mind.  But I would like to think he had an America ear worm that day and could not get the song out of his head.  A big, big thanks to Steve Grieme, Yvonne Stam, and Rozsa Harris for all hearing this one and sending it in within hours of each other.  A malaphor tidal wave.