while your business gets off its feet
Posted: November 21, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, get on your feet, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, off on the right foot, off the ground, words 1 CommentMalaphor hunter Yvonne Stam heard this one in her car while listening to Suze Orman’s book “the Money Class”. In the chapter on starting your own business, Orman says you need to have savings to tide you over “while your business gets off its feet”. This is a subtle mash up of “off the ground” (to get something started) and “on its feet” (to get someone back to normal). The phrase “getting off on the right foot” also comes to mind, which is probably what the speaker meant to say. Thank you Yvonne for sharing this one, but a warning to everyone: PLEASE do not malaphor hunt and drive at the same time.
I read it front to cover
Posted: November 17, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: back to front, cover to cover, expressions, humor, Jimmy Vivino, language, malaphor, malaphors, Marc maron, neologism, words Leave a commentThis terrific mixed idiom was heard on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. Musician Jimmy Vivino was discussing his development in learning to arrange music and mentioned a book on orchestration that a teacher had given him that he read in its entirety. This is a combination of “front to back” and “cover to cover”, both meaning to have read something in its entirety. There is also a British expression, knowing “(something) back to front”, which also means to know something completely or in its entirety. How many of you have literally read a book front to cover, and decided that was enough? Liner covers do serve a useful purpose. A big thank you to Mike Kovacs, who listens and reads front to cover for malaphors.
He is shooting for the fences
Posted: November 16, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, shoot, swing, Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, Helene Cooper, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, Meet the Press, mixed idioms, shoot for, swinging for the fences, words 2 CommentsI heard this gem on this morning’s Meet the Press. Helene Cooper, a New York Times correspondent, was discussing President Obama’s proactive week, including his executive authority to issue an executive order regarding immigration. I believe she was wanting to say “swinging for the fences”, meaning to try and accomplish bold ideas, but mixed it with “shooting for (something)” meaning to aim for.
We were under the opinion that….
Posted: November 7, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: congruent conflation, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, of the opinion, under the impression, words 2 CommentsThis very subtle congruent conflation was heard in the episode “Deadly Disappearance” on the Series “Blood, Lies, and Alibis”. It is a mash up of “under the impression” and “of the opinion”. A big thanks to Laszlo Veres for spotting this one. He has ears like a hawk.
You better fiddle for your supper
Posted: October 27, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, fiddle while Rome burns, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, sing for your supper, words Leave a commentThis strange advice was overheard at a bus stop by Jack Chandler. I believe this is a mash up of “fiddle while Rome burns” (to do nothing or something trivial while something disastrous is happening) and “sing for your supper” (to do something in order to receive something). Perhaps the speaker was thinking of the roaming violinist in some Italian restaurant or strolling strings at a banquet. For some reason the malaphor reminds me of that John Denver song, Thank God I’m a Country Boy:
Well I got me a fine wife, I got me ol’ fiddle
When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle
And life ain’t nothin’ but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I’m a country boy
Thanks to Jack Chandler for sending this one in.
At least you went down guns loaded, or guns blown, whatever.
Posted: October 12, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Buffalo Bills, EJ Manuel, espn, expressions, guns blazing, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, went down fighting, words Leave a commentSince it is NFL football Sunday, I thought I would share this nice little malaphor uttered by the Buffalo Bills quarterback, EJ Manuel. After being benched in favor of Kyle Orton, he made it clear that he wants another chance.
“You don’t worry about the repercussions. If something happens, at least you went down guns loaded, or guns blown, whatever. You just go out there and let it rip. That’s what I’ve been practicing out there this week, against our defense, so just allowing myself to go out and make plays naturally.”
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11629515/ej-manuel-buffalo-bills-says-wants-different-player
This is a mash up of “went down fighting” and “go down with guns blazing”, both meaning putting up a fight. The malaphor results in exactly the opposite meaning – went down with guns loaded, i.e., did not put up a fight. The “whatever” perhaps was an exasperated searching in his mind for the correct idiom. That happens to me a lot. Whatever. A big thanks to John Costello for hearing this one and passing it along. The sports world comes through again!
We are not on the edge of the curve with technology
Posted: October 8, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ahead of the curve, congruent conflations, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, on the cutting edge, words Leave a commentThe speaker described himself and his wife as not very tech savvy and then said this nice malaphor. It is is a congruent conflation of “cutting edge” and “ahead of the curve”, both meaning to be in front of others. Being on the edge of the curve seems pretty precarious to me. Thanks to Steve Hubbard for sending this one in!
Everything’s up to snuff in Kansas City
Posted: October 4, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: everything's up to date in Kansas City, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, musicals, Oklahoma, up to snuff, words Leave a commentOkay, you’re all saying – this is not a malaphor! I contend it is, and since I am the Malaphor King, I choose to post it. The mix comes from the title of a song in the broadway musical “Oklahoma!” – “Everything’s up to date in Kansas City” – and the phrase “up to snuff” (as good as required). This was uttered by a guy in the theater business (makes sense). Thanks to Sam Edelmann for passing this one along!
I’m no expert on this subject by any stretch of the means
Posted: September 21, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blended idioms, by any means, by any stretch of the imagination, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 2 CommentsThis is a mash up of “by any stretch of the imagination” (as much as anyone could imagine) and “by any means” (by any way possible). Both phrases involve extremes, and share the words “by any”, hence the confusion. A salute to Barry Eigen (who by the way is a stretch of the nice) for hearing this one in a class and sharing it with us.
It blows the roof off my doors
Posted: September 17, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blow the doors off, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, through the roof, words 3 CommentsThis seems to be a mash up of “blows the doors off” (very fast) and “hit the roof” (very angry). My ol’ pal says maybe “blows his lid”, which also means very angry. The context, however, was something exceeding expectations. which would indicate “go through the roof” (prices go exceedingly high) might be in play. A big thank you to Paul Brendel by way of Kevin Hatfield for reporting this one.
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