I was pounding the bushes
Posted: November 10, 2014 Filed under: pavement, pound | Tags: beat the bushes, congruent conflation, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, Our Mechanical Brain, pound the pavement, words Leave a commentThis is a wonderful congruent conflation of “beating the bushes” and “pounding the pavement”, both meaning to try very hard to achieve something. As the speaker said, “you’d think the alliteration would help me keep them straight”. I was actually pounding my bushes this weekend trying to dislodge all the leaves that had dropped on them. A big thanks to Peter from the blog “Our Mechanical Brain” for producing this great malaphor and passing it on! Check his blog out at Our Mechanical Brain
You are shooting yourself in the foot to spite your face
Posted: October 2, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, cut, foot, shoot | Tags: cutting your nose off to spite your face, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, shooting yourself in the foot, words 2 CommentsYes, that is what Sarah blurted out to her husband, and then she realized she had unintentionally uttered a malaphor. As she said, “this is what sleep deprivation and being newly post partum will do to someone.” The malaphor is a mix of “shooting yourself in the foot” (to cause yourself difficulty) and “cut off your nose to spite your face” (to hurt yourself in an attempt to hurt another). Both phrases have to do with doing damage to oneself, literally (cutting and shooting) and figuratively. Sarah’s malaphor contains serious damage! Thanks to Sarah for sending this one in!
I’m biting my words
Posted: September 13, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, bite, BODY PARTS, tongue | Tags: bite my tongue, eat my words, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentPrecisely. That’s what we all do when we utter malaphors. This one is a mash up of “eating my words” (admission that what you said was wrong) and “biting my tongue” (stop yourself from speaking). The speaker, Kevin Hatfield, was attempting to say eating my words but perhaps felt he bit off more than he could chew. Biting and eating are part of the confusion, both actions by the mouth. “My” is also shared, adding to the mix up. Thanks to Kevin Hatfield for blurting this one out!
I fall asleep at the drop of a dime
Posted: June 26, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, CLOTHING, dime, hat, sleep, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, congruent conflation, drop of a hat, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, stop on a dime, words 6 CommentsThis wonderful congruent conflation is a mash up of “at the drop of a hat” and “stop on a dime”, both meaning an action done instantly. Drop and stop are four letter words that rhyme, adding to the befuddlement. This beauty was heard at a court hearing. Kudos to Sam Edelmann for sending this one into Malaphor central!
I slept like a dog last night
Posted: June 18, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, ANIMALS, dog, sleep | Tags: blended idioms, dogs, expressions, humor, language, let sleeping dogs lie, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, out like a log, slept like a baby, words 1 CommentDogs sleep pretty soundly, but this is definitely a malaphor. It is a mash up of “slept like a log (or baby)” (restful sleep) and “let sleeping dogs lie” (do not instigate trouble). Nice mix up as it involves assonance (log, dog, and lie, like) and similar words in the phrases (sleep, dog). This beauty was uttered by John Costello, one of my roving malaphor reporters!
I don’t know what kinda gun she’s been smoking
Posted: June 3, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, guns, smoke, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, smoking gun, what has she been smoking?, words Leave a commentOkay. Yes, this was actually unintentionally said on the Maury show last week. Husband was being accused of kissing his wife’s girlfriend and having an affair behind her back. The husband denied the accusation and said this malaphor about his wife to Maury. This is a mash up of “smoking gun” (indisputable sign of guilt) and “what have you been smoking?” (rhetorical question implying that the person is acting strange). There may be a freudian element here, as the husband might be admitting guilt through the use of a malaphor. Or maybe I am reading into this more than I should. A big thank you to John Hatfield for hearing this one!
Don’t wake up a sleeping dog
Posted: May 29, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, ANIMALS, dog, sleep | Tags: blended idioms, don't wake a sleeping giant, expressions, humor, language, let sleeping dogs lie, malaphor, malaphors, miami heat, mixed idioms, sun-sentinel, words 11 CommentsLet’s float a carrot
Posted: May 3, 2014 Filed under: carrot, float | Tags: blended idioms, dangle a carrot, expressions, float an offer, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis was heard on a conference call in reference to a price proposal that would be presented to a customer. It is a mash up of “float an offer or idea” (present something informally to see if people are interested) and “dangle a carrot” (encourage someone with an incentive). By the way, carrots do float (I think). This beauty was heard by my chief roving malaphor reporter Mike Kovacs. Of course I thank him profusely.
And I’ve only jumped through the first one of these hurdles
Posted: April 25, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, hoops, hurdles, jump, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, Bradley manning, Chelsea Manning, clear a hurdle, expressions, humor, jump through hoops, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis malaphor is similar to my posting of August 5, 2013 but bears repeating. This is a wonderful mix of “jump through hoops” (do everything possible to please or obey someone) and “clear a hurdle” (overcome an obstacle). The confusion lies with hoops and hurdles, things you jump through and jump over. It was spoken by Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley Manning) on announcing her name change. Here is the context:
“Unfortunately, the trans* community faces three major obstacles to living a normal life in America: identity documentation, gender segregated institutions, and access to healthcare. And I’ve only just jumped through the first one of these hurdles.”
http://www.chelseamanning.org/featured/chelsea-mannings-statement-on-her-legal-name-change
Many thanks to Guy Patterson for spotting this malaphor!
I’m shooting from the cuff
Posted: March 21, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, CLOTHING, cuff, shoot | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, New York Knicks, off the cuff, Phil Jackson, shoot from the hip, words 1 CommentThis is a wonderful malaphor involving the phrases “off- the- cuff” (speak spontaneously without rehearsal) and “shooting from the hip” (speaking frankly). Phil Jackson, in deciding to take over the New York Knicks, uttered this malaphor at the beginning of his acceptance speech. Click on the link below and then click on the video in the link.. He says, in the opening sentence, that “I’m shooting from the cuff.” Thanks to Martin Pietrucha for hearing this one and passing it on!
Phil Jackson shook hands with New York Knicks owner James Dolan, walked gingerly to the podium and comfortably lifted the microphones to fit his 6-foot-8 frame.
“I don’t have prepared remarks, as you can see,” Jackson said, practically bragging. “I’m shooting from the cuff.”
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