We have a few dark sheep in the family
Posted: July 2, 2013 Filed under: horse, sheep | Tags: black sheep, blended idioms, dark horse, expressions, horse, humor, language, Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti, malaphors, mixed idioms, sheep, Sopranos, words 2 Comments
The Sopranos title screen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is a mash up of “black sheep” (disreputable member of a group) and “dark horse” (something or someone who is little known and rises to prominence). It was uttered in The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti, the eighth episode of the first season of The Sopranos.:
Dr. Reis: You know, on my mother’s side, we have a few dark sheep.
… Louis “Lepke” Buchalter, you know, Murder Incorporated. My mother’s
uncle was Lepke’s wheel man, his driver.
Not the brightest tool in the shed
Posted: June 24, 2013 Filed under: bulb, shed, tool | Tags: blended idioms, bulb, conflations, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, sharpest tool in the shed, shed, tool, words 2 CommentsThis is a mash up of “not the sharpest tool in the shed” and “not the brightest bulb in the chandelier” (or “not the brightest”), both idioms describing someone lacking in intelligence. Of course it had to be me who uttered this one to my wife who promptly pointed out the mix-up. It reminded me once again that I really am not the brightest tool in the shed.
I don’t want to toot my own hat
Posted: June 17, 2013 Filed under: CLOTHING, hat, horns, THINGS, toot | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, hat, horn, humor, Jean Quan, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, toot, toot your own horn, words Leave a comment
English: Photo of Mayor Jean Quan from her 2010 Campaign (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This malaphor was spoken by Jean Quan, the mayor of Oakland, and appeared in the October 2012 issue of San Francisco Magazine. She meant to say “toot my own horn” (brag), and I think mixed that up with “take my hat off” (pay respect to someone or brag on them), but it could be just a mix up of the visual at a birthday party with party hats and horns. “Feather in one’s cap” also comes to mind, as well as “tip my hand”. Any other suggestions out there would be welcome. A tip of the toque to Mike Kovacs for spotting this one.
I’ve seen the gamut
Posted: June 12, 2013 Filed under: gamut, run | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, run the gamutd, words 1 CommentThis is a mixture of “run the gamut” and “seen it all”, both meaning to cover a wide range. This was heard at a legal conference where the speaker was referring to being involved in a wide range of cases and experiencing a lot. Thanks to John Costello for sending in this subtle but common gem.
That was a mind changing experience
Posted: June 10, 2013 Filed under: mind | Tags: blended idioms, epxressions, humor, language, life changing, malaphors, mind blowing, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis is a mash up of “life changing” and “mind blowing”, both referring to powerful experiences. Big thanks to Elly Pietrucha for sending this one in to Malaphor Central.
Not to beat a broken record, but….
Posted: June 5, 2013 Filed under: beat, horse, record | Tags: beat a dead horse, blended idioms, broken record, conflations, horse, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, record, words Leave a commentThis is a conflation of “beat a dead horse” and “sound like a broken record’, both meaning to do or say the same thing over and over again. The best malaphors are the ones mixing similar meaning phrases, and this is a good example. Kudos to Kevin Hatfield for uttering this unintentional masterpiece, and to Justin Taylor for recognizing it.
I finally got the monkey off my shoulders
Posted: June 3, 2013 Filed under: back, monkey, shoulders | Tags: back, blended idioms, expressions, humor, Indianapolis 500, Indy 500, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, monkey, monkey off my back, shoulders, Tony Kanaan, wieight off my shoulders, words 1 Comment
The former logo of Mike and Mike in the Morning until May 4, 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is a mash up of “monkey off my back” and “a weight off my shoulders”, both meaning to get rid of a big problem. Kudos to Mike Browning who heard this gem on the Mike & Mike talk show last week. Tony Kanaan was talking about finally
winning the Indy 500, and said that the victory finally got “the monkey
off my shoulders.” Malaphors occur frequently when there are two similar meaning idioms referring to body parts, particularly in close proximity.
I’m not going to buy anything on whole cloth
Posted: May 29, 2013 Filed under: buy | Tags: blended idioms, buy into, Chris Christie, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, Matt Lauer, mixed idioms, New Jersey, Today (NBC program), whole cloth, words Leave a commentThis mash up of “buy into (something)” (to accept or believe in something) and “out of whole cloth” (without foundation or not based on fact) was heard by Mike Kovacs on the Today show recently. Talking about scientists’ theories on whether Hurricane Sandy was caused by climate change, NJ Governor Chris Christie told Matt Lauer he was “not going to buy anything on whole cloth.”
Governor of New Jersey at a town hall in Hillsborough, NJ 3/2/11 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It was so quiet you could hear a mouse drop
Posted: May 27, 2013 Filed under: mouse | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, mouse, mouse droppings, quiet as a mouse, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, words Leave a commentThis is a mad mixture of “so quiet you could hear a pin drop” and “quiet as a mouse”, but the speaker must have had “mouse droppings” on his mind as well. My guess is that when a mouse does crap it’s pretty quiet, but that’s only a guess. Really. Props to Marianne Julian for hearing this malaphor.
Right from the bat
Posted: May 23, 2013 Filed under: bat, THINGS | Tags: bat, blended idioms, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, off the bat, right from the start, words Leave a comment
Logo used 1972-1992 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This congruent conflation mixes up “right from the start” and “right off the bat”, both meaning to do something immediately. A big thanks to Jake Holdcroft who heard this one spoken by a sportscaster during a Pittsburgh Penguins game intermission. See a similar malaphor – “right out of the bat” , posted October 27, 2012.
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