They just decided that they wanted to give him (Trump) a walk
Posted: February 17, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: humor, idioms, language, words 3 CommentsHouse impeachment manager Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) was on CNN’s State of the Union, and was discussing the impeachment trial and the verdict. Talking about Mitch McConnell’s closing argument that supported the House Managers’ arguments, she said:
“They all agreed,” she added. “They just decided that they wanted to give him a walk and they found a technicality that they created to do so.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/delegate-stacey-plaskett-says-impeachment-trial-needed-more-senators-with-spines
This is a nice conflation of “to give (one) a pass” (accept someone’s improper actions or behavior without punishment) and “walk away from (someone or something)”, (to come through on the other side of an event without suffering any harm). “Let him walk” (acquitted on a criminal charge) was probably also in the mix. Of course, “walk the plank” (to suffer punishment at the hands of someone) might have been on her mind, considering the context. A big thanks to Bruce Ryan for hearing this one and sending it in!
We fought each other like tooth and tongue
Posted: February 15, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: humor, idiom, language, malaphor, tooth and nail Leave a commentGrace Panetta from Business Insider discussed 11 political friendships that crossed party lines. In the section on Orrin Hatch and Ted Kennedy, Hatch says: “I have to say that we became very dear friends. That doesn’t mean we didn’t fight each other. We fought each other like tooth and tongue but afterwards, we’d put our arms around each other and laugh about it,” Hatch told NPR in 2009 after Kennedy’s death.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/11-political-friendships-proved-party-170214573.html?guccounter=1
Given the context, this appears to be a mashup of “tooth and nail, fight/with” (furiously or fiercely) and “hammer and tongs” (energetically or enthusiastically). Tongue sounds like tong (almost a homophone) and so the speaker was probably thinking “tongs”, but that still is a malaphor. The two expressions indicate doing something with great passion, hence the mixup. A tooth is near the tongue, so the substitution of tongue for nail. A big thanks to Lou Pugliese for spotting this one.
Call the flag!
Posted: February 12, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentMy wife was watching the Super Bowl, and shouted this one out after a play. We both realized she had mashed “throw the flag” and “call the foul”, both meaning to ask the referees to penalize a team. A big thanks to Elaine Hatfield for unintentionally saying this congruent conflation.
I would call them at their bluff
Posted: February 10, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: call one's bluff, humor, idioms, language, malaphor, MSNBC Leave a commentThis one was heard on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, uttered by Joe himself. He was talking about the 10 GOP Senators who were in the Oval Office proposing a counteroffer to Biden’s 1.9 trillion COVID relief bill and was suggesting that President Biden “call them at their bluff”. This is a conflation of “call (one’s) bluff” (challenge someone to act on their threat or prove that their claim is true, when one believes they are making a false claim) and “take (one) at (one’s) word” (accept what one says without further verifying). A big thank you to Mike Kovacs for hearing this one and promptly sending it in!
I hate to beat a dead drum
Posted: February 8, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentHeard on a talk radio sports show. A caller was apologizing to Ron Cook for raising the same issue as all the other callers. This is a conflation of “beat a dead horse” (to continue to focus on something) and “drum into (one)” (teach someone something through intense and frequent repetition). Both idioms refer to something continuous or repetitive. Also, the word “beat” is connected to “drum”. “Beat the drum” (promote or support something or someone) might also be in the mix. Kudos to John Kooser for hearing this one and sending it in!
It’s funny monkey business
Posted: February 5, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentThis was overheard on the train. It is a congruent conflation of “funny business” and “monkey business”, both meaning silly or deceitful conduct. I suppose combining the two makes for REALLY deceitful conduct. A big thank you to Verbatim for hearing this one and sending it in.
Just by the nick of the hair
Posted: February 3, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: by a hair, humor, idioms, in the nick of time, malaphors Leave a commentHeard this one today on The Price is Right. A contestant said this after spinning the big wheel with the arrow barely landing on the right amount. This is a congruent conflation of “just in the nick of time” and “by a hair”, both describing an extremely slim or short margin. A big thanks to Elaine Hatfield for hearing this one and yelling it to me upstairs.
I’ve never been a burn-down-the-ramparts sort of person
Posted: February 2, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentAttorney Roberta Kaplan was discussing her belief in institutions and uttered this malaphor. It is a mashup of “burn down the house” (destroy something completely) and “storm the ramparts” (to take over something quickly). The quote is about 3/4 of the way in the article:
A tip of the hat to Tom Justice for spotting this one and sending it in.
Let’s blow this puppy
Posted: February 1, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentHeard from a group leaving a gathering. This ribald malaphor is a mashup of “let’s blow this popstand” (to leave a place, particularly one that has become dull or holds no interest) and “let’s shut this puppy down” (to shut or close down something). James Carville famously said the latter in reference to Biden’s huge primary victory. Here’s the link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/11/james-carville-sanders-biden/
The origin of “let’s blow this pop stand” appears to be fairly recent. In the 1950’s a popular teen hangout was around the local drug store, which used to have a soda shop inside, or at a soda fountain (pop stand). In the slang of the day, “Let’s blow this pop stand” meant “let’s leave this no-longer-interesting place.” No puppies were involved.
A big thank you to Lou Pugliese who heard this one, deconstructed it, and sent it in. He did so with a straight face (I think).
I’m not the smartest bulb in the room
Posted: January 29, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentIn the continuing sharpest tool/brightest bulb series of malaphors, I give you this one. Ron Cook, a Pittsburgh sportswriter, was on 93.7 The Fan, a sports radio show. He was talking about how he had trouble using Zoom and uttered this nice mashup. It is a congruent conflation of “not the sharpest tool in the shed” and “not the brightest bulb in the chandelier”, both describing someone who is not intelligent. Res ipsa loquitur, I guess. “Smartest guy in the room” might also be in the mix.
Malaphor followers will recognize this kind of mashup, as the phrases to describe someone who is of low intelligence get mixed all the time. I call this phenomenon “idiom overload”. I have posted other variations on this theme – see https://malaphors.com/2015/12/07/youre-not-the-brightest-toolbox-in-the-shed/ and https://malaphors.com/2013/06/24/not-the-brightest-tool-in-the-shed/.
Also see https://malaphors.com/2016/03/04/hes-not-the-sharpest-light-bulb-in-the-pack/
A big thank you to John Kooser for hearing this one and sending it in!
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