Strike like a hot knife

Craig Wolfley, a color analyst for Steelers radio, was saying during the game that a penalty killed the Steelers’ momentum at a time when they needed to “strike like a hot knife”. This is a mashup of “strike while the iron is hot” (to make the most of an opportunity or favorable conditions while one has the chance to do so) and “like a hot knife through butter” (deal with a situation quickly and easily). The word “hot” seems to have tangled Mr. Wolfley’s tongue a little. A big thanks to Jack Kooser for hearing this and recognizing it as a malaphor.