I dropped the boat on that one
Posted: December 15, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, ball, boat, drop, THINGS | Tags: dropped the ball, expressions, Hues Corporation, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, missed the boat, rock the boat, words 6 CommentsThis is a terrific congruent conflation of “missed the boat” and “dropped the ball”, both meaning to have made an error or mistake. Maybe the speaker was experiencing an earworm of that 1974 song “Rock the Boat” by the one hit wonder group Hues Corporation. In any event, this double whammy can be used to describe the mother of all mistakes. A big thanks to Marcia Riefer Johnston who sent this one in and is a new malaphor follower. By the way, she has a great website, http://writing.rocks. Check it out!
We’ll drop a line in the water and see what sticks
Posted: September 9, 2013 Filed under: ACTION, drop, FOOD, water | Tags: blended idioms, dip a toe in the water, expressions, humor, language, make it stick, malaphors, Mike Tomlin, mixed idioms, Pittsburgh Steelers, Running back, words Leave a comment
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin – September 16, 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This jumble was apparently uttered by Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin a few weeks ago in response to the running backs situation. It is a mash up of “dip a toe in the water” (to test or try out something) and “make (something) stick” (to cause to be accepted). “Throw dirt enough and some will stick” might also be in the equation. Given the Steelers first performance, apparently the line was made of teflon. Thanks to Dan Geier for overhearing this one on the radio.
He dropped like a light
Posted: November 13, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, drop, light, rock, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, boxing, dropped like a rock, expressions, football, malaphors, mixed idioms, out like a light, words Leave a commentI heard this one on an NFL broadcast years ago, describing a player who was knocked out by a ferocious hit. The malaphor is a mash up of “dropped like a rock” and “out like a light”, both meaning to get knocked out immediately (although the latter also means to go to sleep quickly).
He’ll do anything at the drop of a bucket
Posted: July 11, 2012 Filed under: bucket, CLOTHING, drop, hat, THINGS | Tags: jumbled phrase, malaphor, mixed idiom 2 Comments
I think the brain twists drop and kick together and comes up with this excellent malaphor. I have heard this one several times so the synapse must be weak….
Malaphors 
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