It will probably go belly under
Posted: March 9, 2013 Filed under: belly, BODY PARTS | Tags: belly up, blended idioms, congruent conflation, expressions, go under, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 2 CommentsThe context of this malaphor was in reference to a newly opened restaurant that probably will not survive. This is a congruent conflation of “going belly up” and “going under”, both meaning business failure. Again, direction seems to be the hang up in this one (and many other previously posted ones), and of course that both phrases have the same meaning. A big thank you to Jody Compton for serving this one up!
It’s time to take the bull by the tail
Posted: March 5, 2013 Filed under: bull, horns, tail | Tags: blended idioms, bull by the horns, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, tiger by the tail, words 3 CommentsThis visual mash-up mixes “take the bull by the horns” (confront an issue openly) with probably “has the world by the tail” or “has a tiger by the tail”. Heads and tails are part of the confusion, and I don’t think either end is preferable. Thanks to Joseph Newcomer for sending this one to me!
That’s no skin off my teeth
Posted: February 28, 2013 Filed under: BODY PARTS, nose, tooth | Tags: blended idioms, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, skin, skin of our teeth, skin off my nose, teeth, words Leave a commentHeard this beauty last night during a dinner conversation. This is a mash up of “no skin off my nose” and “by the skin of our teeth”.
It caught my mind
Posted: February 1, 2013 Filed under: BODY PARTS, mind | Tags: blended idioms, caught my eye, expressions, eye, humor, language, malaphors, mind, mixed idioms, wordplay, words Leave a commentI heard this one from Senator Jon Tester of Montana on the Bill Maher show this week. It is a mash up of “caught my eye” and I think “bring to mind”, both meaning to cause one to think of someone or something. The words mind and eye sound similar and are both located in the head, perhaps adding to the conflation. I like this one as it is subtle and still descriptive of the thought.
Let’s take each one by ear
Posted: January 26, 2013 Filed under: BODY PARTS, ear | Tags: blended idioms, ear, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, play it by ear, wordplay, words Leave a commentAlison (check her blog at www.absolutely-write.co.uk ), a follower of this website, was drinking coffee in a neighborhood cafe, trying not to listen to the eager young man in a suit sitting behind her, who was talking loudly into his phone. As he was finishing up his conversation, he said “Yeah, well, let’s take each one by ear”. She correctly noted that the speaker was probably muddling up “let’s take each one as it comes” and “let’s play it by ear”. Thank you Alison for submitting this malaphor!
He was telling my ears off
Posted: January 25, 2013 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, ear | Tags: blended idioms, conflations, ears, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, talking my ear off, telling him off, words 1 CommentI heard this one at lunch yesterday from a former colleague, Cindy. We looked at each other and said, “malaphor”! It is a mash up of “talking my ears off” (excessive talking) and “telling me off” (scold someone). Telling also sounds like yelling, which I think also was going on.
We’ve got our hands cut out for us
Posted: January 21, 2013 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, cut, hand | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, hands, hands full, humor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words, work, work cut out for us Leave a commentThis is a mixture of “our work cut out for us” and “we’ve got our hands full”, both meaning a lot of work is ahead. There are other phrases involving the word “hands” that might be in play – “many hands make light work”, all hands”, “helping hands”. Perhaps the severed hand below will help…
And then everyone wonders why Europeans turn down their noses at Americans
Posted: January 18, 2013 Filed under: BODY PARTS, nose | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, humor, Jersey Shore, language, look down their nose at, malaphors, mixed idioms, nose, turn up their noses, wordplay, words Leave a comment“Turn down their noses” is a wonderful mash up of “turn up their noses” (sneer at someone) and “look down their noses at” (to see someone who is inferior or has no value). The confusion lies in “up” and “down” and “look” and “turn”. Maybe the nose has “turn down” service? Who knows? But it seems to be an incredibly popular malaphor given the thousands of google hits. The subject line above refers to the Jersey Shore phenomenon:
“The Jersey Shore kids are gross. Not Gross Baboons necessarily, just gross. They are so wrong in so many ways. Have you been to Florence? It is by far one of the most beautiful cities in the world. They needed to have a pack of steroid-ed gumbas trouncing around the Ponte Vecchio like I am going to the moon. Reports from Italy have the locals cringing from horror that this somehow represents Italians in the United States. And then everyone wonders why Europeans turn down their noses at Americans. The worst part is now that the Jersey Snore kids have terrorized Florence, Italians will equate ding-dong Guidos and Guidettes with the state of New Jersey.”
http://imeanwhat.com/tag/dj-pauly-d/
Here’s another good one:
Falvo’s Meats – Don’t get me wrong, I know there are a number of quality butcher shops in the area, but this place with its friendly service, fair prices and excellent products keeps me coming back time after time. I rely upon their advertisement in the Sunday TU for inspiration when planning the week’s meals and my boys turn down their noses at bacon that does not come from the Slingerland’s institution.
http://blog.timesunion.com/vinoteca/11-things-i-love-about-the-capital-district-part-1/5085/
He doesn’t want to appear to be pushing on anyone’s toes
Posted: January 12, 2013 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, push, toes | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, language, linguistics, malaphors, mixed idioms, pushover, stepping on toes, toes, wordplay, words Leave a commentI can’t remember the context of this odd malaphor but it could be a mash up of “stepping on someone’s toes” (offend someone) and possibly “push the envelope” (to go further beyond the accepted limits). However, I think “pushover” (a person easily taken advantage of) or “pushy” (overly forward) is probably what the speaker was thinking of as he might be describing himself as both not offending his audience and taking advantage of them.
They really kicked themselves in the foot
Posted: January 4, 2013 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, foot, kick | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, foot, kicked myself, malaphors, mixed idioms, Oklahoma football team, shot myself in the foot, words Leave a commentThis is a mash up of “shot myself in the foot” (said or did something stupid that causes problems for the person) and “kicked myself” (feel angry with yourself because you have done something stupid). This was heard by Deb Rose on a local sports show in Oklahoma. After the University of Oklahoma suffered a painful loss, making mistake after mistake and giving away the win, a local sportscaster said, “Boy, they really kicked themselves in the foot!”
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