Throw it out of the woodwork
Posted: August 23, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, PLACES, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, crawl, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, woodwork, words Leave a commentI had to enlist my “ol’ pal” to sort this one out. She states that “crawled out of the woodwork” means something hidden came to light unexpectedly (like a cockroach or anything/anyone unwelcome). “Thrown out for discussion” represents ideas that have to be considered by the group before a decision can be reached. “Throw it out of the woodwork” seems to indicate forcing something hidden into the light of day, something that must be revealed. I think she has hit the nail on the jackpot with this one.
Put my neck out on a limb
Posted: August 22, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, limb, malaphors, mixed idioms, neck, words 2 CommentsThis one is pretty straightforward and pretty common – a mash up of “stuck my neck out” and “go out on a limb”. Both idioms have the same meaning (put yourself in potentially a disadvantageous position to support someone or something) and are about the same length. Confusion thus reigns.
He has a punch like a mule
Posted: August 21, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, ANIMALS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, kick, malaphors, mixed idioms, mule, punch, words Leave a commentThe speaker meant to say “kick like a mule” (kick very hard) so we know this is one phrase in the mash-up, but what was she thinking when she said “punch”? “Punched out” comes to mind, but also “punch like a girl” (soft hitting) also could have been in the subconscious, particularly since the words “girl” and “mule” are both four letters long and end with the L sound. All I know is when I heard it something just didn’t sound right, a true endorsement for a good malaphor.
You wash my back; I’ll wash yours.
Posted: August 17, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: back, blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, scratch, wash, words Leave a commentThis is again a mash up of “one hand washing the other” and “you scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours” (see yesterday’s malaphor post). These two malaphors were both spoken by “the Master”, so why would he mix them both in different ways? My guess is that he may have been thinking in this one of “watching your back” (looking out for another) since “watch” and “wash” are similar sounding words (“the master” did tend to slur words, especially after a long lunch). Again, it is difficult to step into such a complex mind so I can only speculate.
One hand scratching the other
Posted: August 16, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, congruent conflation, expressions, hand, malaphors, mixed idioms, scratch, wash, words Leave a commentThis is a mix up of two similar meaning idioms – “one hand washing the other” and ” you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” (reciprocal help). These malaphors that mix idioms having the same or similar meaning are also called congruent conflations.
It was like a ton of bricks was lifted from my shoulders
Posted: August 15, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, bricks, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, shoulders, weight, words Leave a commentThis mash up involves the idioms “hit like a ton of bricks” (surprise or shock) and “weight was lifted from my shoulders” (relieved of a responsibility), both referring to weight, but one indicates weight off and the other on. The speaker appears to be thinking the word “weight” but somehow “ton of bricks” replaces that thought and the malaphor is born.
That really burns my goat!
Posted: August 13, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, ANIMALS | Tags: blended idioms, burn, expressions, goat, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentIt appears this is a mash up of “gets my goat’ (annoys me) and “burns me up” (makes me mad). Both idioms have similar meanings and are both three sentences long. I can guarantee that no animals were hurt or killed in the course of using this malaphor.
Jump on the band rail
Posted: August 12, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, railroads, wagons, words Leave a comment“Jump on the bandwagon” (to voluntarily participate in something) is what the speaker meant to say, but apparently was derailed in his thinking and confused his train of thought. As “my ol pal” points out, years ago politicians (e.g Truman) used to have whistle-stop campaigns where the candidate would ride aboard a special train & make stops in various places so that the public could see them, hoping that the voters would “jump on their bandwagon.” So, perhpas the phrase “riding the rails” (hobos getting free rides on the trains) was probably the source of the confusion, with the speaker thinking about railroads instead of wagons, both forms of transportation. Finally, to “jump the rails” (train goes off the track) might be the missing idiom as it contains the word “jump” even though the thought is opposite to jump ON the bandwagon. The subconscious is indeed a mystery….
Nailed the issue to the floor
Posted: August 11, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, PLACES | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, floor, malaphors, mixed idioms, nail, words Leave a commentThis one perhaps combines “nail down” or “nailed it” (get it right) and “take the floor” (one’s turn to speak). On the other hand, perhaps “wipe someone off the floor” (beat someone up) could have been part of the equation? The context in which I heard it was someone saying that the person really was accurate, as in they “nailed it”. “Nailed the landing on the floor” (gymnastics) seems the closest, though Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses to the church door could have been swirling in this person’s subconscious. Free association is such a personal thing, don’t you agree?
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