Boots on the street

This was heard on a conference call with salespeople. It is a mashup of “boots on the ground” (troops in place) and “feet on the street” (sales force members who go directly to the stores to place products and negotiate prices). The latter phrase even has an acronym – FOTS. Who knew? A big thanks to Mike Kovacs who heard this one and sent it in.

Dead on the money

This nice subtle malaphor was uttered by Joyce Vance, former U.S. Attorney, on the MSNBC show, The Beat with Ari Melber. She was talking about the lawsuit brought by Smartmatic against Fox. It is a congruent conflation of “dead on” and “right on the money”, both meaning exactly right or perfect. A shout out to Mike Kovacs for sharing this dead on the money malaphor.

Not out of the clear

Overheard in a conversation. The speaker was talking about her workload, and that it was not quite finished. This is a congruent conflation of “out of the woods” and “in the clear”, both used to describe clear of danger or difficulty. A big thanks to Katie Norwood for uttering this one and then realizing it was a malaphor.

Did you like this one? If so, check out my book “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon for a cheap $7.99! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652205. Or try my sequel, “Things Are Not Rosy-Dory: Malaphors from Politicians and Pundits”, also on Amazon. They both make great bathroom reads. “A malaphor a day keeps irregularity away!”

They always keep you on your heels

Saturday’s (may 13) Los Angeles Times featured an article about the NBA series between the Lakers and the Warriors. LeBron James was talking about Steph Curry and the Warrior team, “They always keep you on your heels.  Anytime you relax, they’ll make you pay.”

http://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=2981112f-9f5d-49bf-b901-2649bbd71a1f

This is a mashup of “keep (one) on (one’s) toes” (to force someone to stay active or alert) and “back on (one’s) heels” in a state of surprise or unease such that it affects one’s ability to perform). Toes, heels, and feet often get confused (type in any of these words on my website). Props to Beatrice Zablocki for spotting this one and sending it in!

She’s driving the show

A couple were talking about another married couple where the husband does pretty much whatever his wife wants even when he doesn’t want to, prompting the malaphor: “She’s driving the show.” This is a congruent conflation of “running the show” and “in the driver’s seat”, both meaning to have authority or control of something. A big thanks to Barry Eigen for sending this one in!

That’s a load off my back

On the PBS Newshour, Cincinnati State was being highlighted for its accelerated two year program. Participants receive stipends to help with getting to school, etc. One participant, Blessing Henderson, said that the program really helped relieve a lot of stress and allowed her to complete her degree more quickly. She said of the assistance, “that’s a load off my back”. This is a congruent conflation of “load off (one’s) mind” and “monkey off (one’s) back”, both meaning to end a persistent problem or burden. A big thank you to Elaine Hatfield for hearing this one and letting me know!

Get back to snuff

This malaphor was overheard in a conversation. It is a mash up of “get back to basics” (return to the fundamental aspects of something) and “up to snuff” (meeting the required standard). Both phrases involve achieving a certain baseline, creating this mixup. A tip of the hat to Vicky Clancy-Yolton for hearing this one and sending it in!

Cash it home

During the NBA playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy described a Laker basket in the first quarter where the player went through traffic to score. He said the player was able to “cash it home” despite the defense. This is a mash up of “send/take home” (win some sort of achievement) and “cash in” (to take advantage of a situation or moment). “Drive home” (to make a point) may also be in the mix as the player was driving to the basket and made a point (literally a couple). A big thanks to Bruce Ryan for hearing this one and sending it in!

Draw their own opinions

During a National Public Radio (NPR) station’s fundraising, the host read a donor’s statement that was complementing NPR news reporters, stating that they are neutral and “allow listeners to draw their own opinion.” This is a subtle mash up of “draw (one’s) own conclusion” (to decide what to believe after considering the facts) and “air/voice (one’s) opinion” (to make one’s argument known). A big thank you to David Barnes for hearing this one and sending it in.

I have to jump through all those bells and whistles

It’s hard to keep track these days of all those bells, hoops, whistles, and hurdles.  This was heard in a conversation.  It is a mash up of “jumping through hoops” (having to do extra things in order to do something you want) and “bells and whistles” (fancy add-ons or gadgets).  Both phrases refer to “extra things” which I think is the cause of the conflation. Kudos to Bob Edwards for uttering this one and Susan Edwards for promptly reporting it!