We’ve been through the road of hard knocks

From The Philadelphia Inquirer:
How the Eagles’ Lane Johnson draws on his mother’s strength: ‘We’ve been through the road of hard knocks’

https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-super-bowl-lvii-lane-johnson-mental-health-20230205.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=ios&utm_campaign=app_ios_article_share&utm_content=HRYDVCAEXFHMROQTJZMXKO2W2A

This is a rare, triple malaphor, mashing up “through the wringer” (been through a series of difficult or unpleasant experiences), “rocky road” (difficult journey), and “school of hard knocks” (real and practical experiences of life, usually unpleasant). Almost a triple congruent conflation as all the idioms refer to unpleasant or difficult times. Certainly this describes the Johnson family. A big thank you to Linda Bernstein for spotting this timely one (Super Bowl this weekend) and sending it in!