We need to get our ducks together
Posted: May 16, 2014 Filed under: ANIMALS, duck | Tags: congruent conflation, ducks in a row, expressions, get your shit together, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentThis nice congruent conflation is a mash up of “get our ducks in a row” and “get our shit together”, both meaning to get organized. This beauty was uttered by the Mistress of Malaphors, Naomi David. Thanks again Naomi!
When all the balls are in line
Posted: January 11, 2014 Filed under: ANIMALS, ball, duck, THINGS | Tags: balls in the air, blended idioms, congruent conflations, ducks in a row, expressions, fall in line, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, stars aligned, words Leave a commentChristopher Dolan, the California lawyer who is representing the McMath family who has a brain dead daughter, said regarding litigation against the hospital, “What we needed to know is that when all the balls are in line that we could move quickly and not have to then have any impediments.” This is a mash up of “ducks in a row” and “fall in line”, both meaning to have things properly organized. “Stars aligned” might also be in the mix as that phrase also means things happen in an organized way and also line rhymes with aligned. Also “many balls in the air” might be at play since the speaker used the word balls and was referring to many things happening, although not at once. Thanks to Ron Marks for sending this one in!
http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1401/04/ndaysat.01.html
She needs to get her ducks in order
Posted: December 23, 2013 Filed under: ANIMALS, duck, house, PLACES | Tags: blended idioms, congruent conflation, ducks in a row, expressions, house in order, humor, language, malaphors, Matt Lauer, MegaMillions, mixed idioms, Today, words 2 CommentsMatt Lauer uttered this malaphor last week on the Today show. He said that the winner of the MegaMillions lottery “needs to get her ducks in order”, a mash up of “ducks in a row” and “house in order”, both meaning to get organized. This congruent conflation is probably commonly said, as ducks walk in an orderly fashion and also in a row, both conjuring up the same image. A big thanks to Victoria Ameel-Kovacs for sending this one in!
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