He’s out to butter his own nest
Posted: November 27, 2012 Filed under: ANIMALS, bread, butter, FOOD, nest, PLACES, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, bread and butter, expressioins, feather, feather your own next, know which side your bread is buttered on, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 3 Comments
English: A pat of butter, served on a leaf, with a butter knife and bread (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This slippery malaphor is a mash up of “feather your own nest” (use power and prestige to one’s advantage selfishly) and perhaps “know which side your bread is buttered on” (to be loyal to the person who will benefit you the most). “Bread and butter” (someone’s livelihood or source of income) could also be a player here. There is also an Hungarian expression -több mindent jelenthet – roughly translated “butter one’s bread on both sides” and meaning leaving nothing for others to argue or complain. My ol’ pal indicates “buttering your own bread” (using power to gain income selfishly) may also be part of this mix up.
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
the last straw in the coffin
Posted: November 22, 2012 Filed under: coffin, nail, PLACES, straw, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, conflation, expressions, last straw, malaphors, mixed idioms, nail in the coffin, words 3 CommentsThis is a mash up of “the last straw” and “another nail in the coffin” (both meaning the final problem that will lead to a collapse or end). I saw this one on yardflex.com, which is a website about Jamaican issues:
“All respect to Trinidad, but they own more of the country’s assets than we do, selling them Air Jamaica will now be the last straw in the coffin.”
http://www.yardflex.com/archives/005475.html
I AM the malaphor king, mon.
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 commentIt’s not his cup of wax
Posted: November 16, 2012 Filed under: FOOD, tea, wax | Tags: ball of wax, blended idioms, cup of tea, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis malaphor was heard on the T-ball field from a parent whose son kept an eye on outfield ants and flowers rather than the ball. It is an amusing blend of “not my cup of tea” (do not like it very much) and “the whole ball of wax” (the entire thing or affair). A big thanks to Cam O. who heard this one and sent it to me.
He 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).
Living on the edge of the envelope
Posted: November 12, 2012 Filed under: envelope, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, high risk, living on the edge, malaphors, mixed idioms, pushing the envelope, words Leave a commentThis is a mash up of “living on the edge” and “pushing the envelope”, both meaning to take a chance. It might describe a real daredevil, always taking risks in life. That probably describes my career in the Federal government. I recall deciding to switch health plans once…
That’s just blood under the bridge
Posted: November 9, 2012 Filed under: BODY PARTS, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, smell blood in the water, water under the bridge, words Leave a commentThis is a mixture of “water under the bridge” (something that has happened that cannot be changed) and I think “blood in the water” (exhibition of weakness from another party in a competitive situation). The speaker wanted to say water under the bridge but perhaps he was still very upset about an outcome he could not change (Karl Rove?).
Read between the covers
Posted: November 8, 2012 Filed under: THINGS | Tags: between the sheets, blended idioms, don't judge a book by its cover, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, read between the lines, words 3 CommentsCertainly the speaker meant to say “read between the lines” (to detect a hidden meaning), but apparently was also thinking of either books or beds. If the former, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” (don’t prejudge something or someone from the outward appearance) comes to mind as books and covers are associated with reading. Also as suggested by my “ol’ pal” “cover to cover” (reading a book in its entirety). However, perhaps the reader was thinking of sleeping or other bedroom activities, conjuring up the slang idiom “between the sheets” (having sex). If so, I hope the speaker was wearing a Freudian slip.
Malaphors 
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