He said it off the top of his cuff
Posted: September 16, 2012 Filed under: BODY PARTS, CLOTHING, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, off the cuff, off the top of his head, words Leave a commentThis is one from “the master”, and it shows. Subtle and brilliant, it is a mash up of two similar meaning idioms – “off the cuff” (speaking spontaneously without rehearsal) and “off the top of his head” (saying something without thinking about it first). Combining these two idioms into one shows “the master’s” continued economical use of the English language.
Now we’ve got to flush out the skeleton
Posted: September 12, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, flesh out p, flush out, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 5 CommentsHeard at a meeting 25 years ago, it still plays well today. Actually, this is a fairly common malaphor, as flush is often used for flesh and vice versa. This is a mix-up of “flesh something out” (make something bigger or more detailed) and “flush something out” (to make something more obvious or force something out of hiding).
He threw a cold shoulder on the idea
Posted: September 5, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, cold shoulder, cold water, expressioins, malaphors, mixed idioms, snub 1 CommentClassic mix-up of “threw cold water on” (negative about something) and “turn a cold shoulder” (snub someone). Both expressions indicate negativity; “cold water” is negativity toward something and “cold shoulder” negativity toward someone. In this case, perhaps the speaker not only disliked the idea but the person expressing the idea as well?
I let it roll over my head
Posted: September 1, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, head, malaphors, mixed idioms, roll over, words Leave a commentThis seems to be a blend of “let it roll off my back” (not to worry about something done or said) and “roll over” (acquiesce to), both indicating passivity. The speaker may have confused the anatomy (back and head) which seems to be common in malaphors. Also the two confused words are four letter words. The phrase “roll with the punches” (go along with the program) also could have been in the subconscious as it is another phrase involving passivity or acquiescence.
Don’t get your nose in an uproar
Posted: August 31, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, bowels in an uproar, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, nose, words Leave a commentThis is a mash up of “nose out of joint” (hurt feelings or plans upset) and “don’t get your bowels in an uproar” (overly anxious or excited), with the speaker replacing “bowels” with “nose”. Both idioms indicate extreme emotion and facial expression which may have added to the confusion. Oh, and the confused words, “bowels” and “nose”, both smell.
You hit it right on the nail
Posted: August 29, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, nail, words 1 CommentI heard this one at a meeting last night. The speaker, a flashy guy in his early 30s or late 20s, was probably mixing “you hit the nail on the head”(got something exactly right) with “you got that right”. It is also possible that he was thinking “right on” when he was speaking but that expression is more familiar to my generation. Malaphors are instantly recognizable but quickly forgotten, so a big “thank you” to my friend Mike (who was sitting next to me) for writing this one down at that moment.
Sitting on their hands and needles
Posted: August 27, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, pins and needles, portmanteau, words Leave a commentOne of my all time favorites, this little ditty was spoken by “the master” in response to a group of employees’ anxiety awaiting the announcement of several promotions. Why is this a thing of beauty? He mixes “sitting on their hands” (procrastinating or delaying) with “on pins and needles” (anxiously awaiting an outcome), which simultaneously describes the employees’ jobs (sedentary as they were paralegals) with their emotional state. This compression of two phrases into a better phrase reminds my “ol pal” of Lewis Carroll’s use of “Portmanteau words” where two words are mashed together to form a new & better word like “chortle” (chuckle & snort) or “frumuous” (fuming & furious).
You can’t pull one over on my eyes
Posted: August 25, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, CLOTHING | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, eyes, malaphors, mixed idioms, pull, tricked, words 1 CommentThis malaphor seems very straightforward – a blend of “put one over on me” and “pull the wool over my eyes”. Both idioms mean “to be fooled” and both contain the word “over”, hence the confusion. The word “pullover” also might have been jumbled in the subconscious as in a “pullover sweater” which of course goes over the eyes. In blending both idioms, the speaker was undoubtedly trying to be particularly emphatic about not being tricked!
Put my neck out on a limb
Posted: August 22, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, limb, malaphors, mixed idioms, neck, words 2 CommentsThis one is pretty straightforward and pretty common – a mash up of “stuck my neck out” and “go out on a limb”. Both idioms have the same meaning (put yourself in potentially a disadvantageous position to support someone or something) and are about the same length. Confusion thus reigns.
Malaphors 
Recent Comments