Let’s roll up our hands and all get together
Posted: January 7, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, hand, roll, sleeve | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, get your hands dirty, humor, join hands, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, roll up your sleeves, words Leave a commentHoward Fineman on the tv show “Hardball” said a few days ago that Congress’s attitude will not be “let’s roll up our hands and let’s all get together” on various issues. This is an amusing mixture of several thoughts, including “roll up our sleeves” (prepare for hard work), “get your hands dirty” (involve yourself in all parts of a job), and “joining hands” (working together), the latter sort of a “kumbaya” approach to working. Rolling up one’s hands is similar to the Master’s wonderful malaphor, “Let’s roll up our elbows and get to work!” (see posting dated 7/30/12). Many thanks to “my ol’ pal” for spotting this one and sending it in!
Things roll off my shoulders
Posted: July 28, 2013 Filed under: back, roll, shoulders | Tags: blended idioms, broad shoulders, conflation, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, roll off my back, words Leave a commentI think this is a mash up of “letting things roll off ones back” and “having broad shoulders”, both meaning to accept criticism and not worry. Shoulder rolls (or shrugs) also may come into play. A tip of the toque to Sam Edelmann for hearing and sharing this one.
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