It’s just a drop in the hat
Posted: December 16, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, CLOTHING | Tags: a drop in the bucket, at the drop of a hat, blended idioms, buckethead, conflations, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 1 CommentThis may be the mother of all malaphors, given the amount of hits on google where writers unintentionally use this blended idiom when they meant to say “drop in the bucket”. This of course is a mash up of “a drop in the bucket” (an insignificant contribution to a larger problem) and “at the drop of a hat” (immediately), two distinctively different idioms. The confusion lies in the use of the two articles the and a, the two prepositions in and of, and also the words bucket and hat, both containers. Actually, buckets are sometimes used for hats, as in the case of the guitarist Buckethead.
English: Buckethead in concert at Neumos in Seattle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Another bite at the cherry
Posted: December 12, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, apple, bite, cherry, FOOD | Tags: apple, basketball, blended idioms, cherry, cherry picking, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, washington wizards, words Leave a commentThis malaphor was heard last night by Mike Browning while listening to a Washington Wizards basketball game. The play by play announcer, Dave Johnson, said this: “… Crawford grabs the rebound, and the Wizards get another bite at the cherry.” Given the context, this is a mash up of “another bite at the apple” and “cherry-picking”, the latter a term used in basketball. “A bite of the cherry” is apparently an Australian and British expression meaning “being a part of something good”, but I don’t think Dave Johnson is Australian or British.
They dug their own snare
Posted: December 9, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, grave, PLACES, snare | Tags: alan simpson, blended idioms, dug their own grave, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, snare, today show, words Leave a commentThis conflation of “dug their own grave” and “caught in a snare” was spoken by former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson on the Today show last week, referring to Congress and the President not acting yet on the approaching fiscal cliff. Thank you to my old friend Dave Thorp for spotting this one.
That was a breath of relief!
Posted: December 8, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, breathe, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, breath of fresh air, breathe a sigh of relief, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a comment
Cover via Amazon
This apparently common mash-up (hundreds of hits on google) of “breathe a sigh of relief” and “breath of fresh air” was found in the Michigan Quarterly article referred in “Articles” on my website and also in Michael Erard’s book, “Um. . .: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean.”
Keep an ear to the grindstone
Posted: December 1, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, ear, grindstone, nose, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, ear, expressions, grindstone, keep an ear to the ground, malaphors, mixed idioms, nose, words 4 CommentsThis one is similar to an earlier malaphor, “put your shoulder to the grindstone” (posted July 20, 2012 – see body parts in index), except it mixes “keep an ear to the ground” (devote attention to watching or listening to clues) and “keep your nose to the grindstone” (work hard and constantly). While these two idioms have different meanings, they both express diligence in an action. They also both have the word “keep” in them. Finally, adding to the confusion are the use of body parts. Body parts are a common source of confusion for some reason, particularly if they are in close proximity – in this case, ears and noses. An amusing aside – I heard this one from a supervisor who was giving me advice.
He led me on a blind goose chase
Posted: November 28, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, alley, ANIMALS, goose, PLACES | Tags: blended idioms, blind alley, expressions, futile pursuits, malaphors, mixed idioms, wild goose chase, words 2 CommentsThis is a mash up of “down a blind alley” and “led on a wild goose chase”, both meaning an unproductive or futile pursuit. Blind and wild are similar sounding words, so the brain chose the wrong swirling fragment. This seems to be a common malaphor, based on the many internet hits. Reminds me of the proverb: A blind goose is as good as a deaf duck (ok, I made that up – just trying to be a wise quacker).
They threw a bullet in their foot
Posted: November 26, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, bullet, foot, THINGS, throw | Tags: blended idioms, dodge a bullet, expressions, foot, malaphors, mixed idioms, shoot yourself in the foot, steelers football, steelers radio, tunch ilkin, words 2 CommentsThis tortured malaphor was spoken by Tunch Ilkin on Steelers radio yesterday during the Steelers/Browns football game. Tunch is a wonderful commentator and ex-Steeler, and is known for his colorful language describing Steelers games. This time he seemed to have several thoughts buzzing through his head, as he wanted to say, that the Steelers had “shot themselves in the foot” (do something that causes problems for yourself), given that a seventh turnover had just been committed. Perhaps the shooting idea conjured up bullets and the phrase “dodge a bullet” (evaded something) or “took a bullet” (sacrificed), both meaning the opposite of what he wanted to say. The “threw” part of the phrase was the errant pass by the quarterback, resulting in an interception.
Sports media is a treasure trove of malaphors, many of which have been repeated on this website. A big thank you to my wife for hearing this gem on her way home from Costco!
He kept pushing my strings
Posted: November 24, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, CLOTHING, pull, push, strings, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, pulling strings, pushing his buttons, words Leave a commentPush or pull? Buttons or strings? Oh, the mind twists and turns in mysterious ways, particularly as one grows older. I heard myself saying this one awhile back. This is a confused conflation of “pushing his buttons” (knowing ways to make a person angry) and “pulling strings” (“to use influence to get something done”). Of course, I am sure Pinocchio must have said this at some point to Geppetto.
Cover of Geppetto
It’s a changing of the torch
Posted: November 21, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, guard, THINGS, torch | Tags: blended idioms, changing of the guard, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, passing the torch, torch, words Leave a commentHe 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).
Malaphors 
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