I don’t want to be a bandwagon fan
Posted: July 4, 2014 Filed under: fans | Tags: bandwagon., blended idioms, expressions, fair-weather fans, humor, jump on the bandwagon, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis malaphor is a mash up of “fair-weather fan” (someone who supports a team only when it is winning) and “jump on the bandwagon” (joining something only when it is popular). It is a congruent conflation as both phrases concern a person who is being supportive of something or someone only because it is the popular thing to do. This malaphor has evolved into an accepted phrase, apparently, as it can be found in Urban Dictionary and has been used by several people (e.g., Cuba Gooding Jr.). Thanks to Katie Hatfield for uttering this one unintentionally and then recognizing it as malaphor worthy.
http://www.tmz.com/2014/06/12/cuba-gooding-jr-i-hate-bandwagon-fans-and-l-a-is-packed-with-em/
He’s three sheets in the bag
Posted: June 30, 2014 Filed under: bag, sheets | Tags: congruent conflations, drunk, expressions, half in the bag, intoxicated, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, three sheets to the wind, words 6 CommentsCouldn’t wait until next week to post this beauty. This is another congruent conflation (mixed idioms with the same or similar meaning), combining “three sheets to the wind” and “half in the bag”, both describing someone who is intoxicated. The confusion might also lie in sheets sometimes being in laundry bags? Then again, the speaker, Lisa Davies O’Donnell, might have just had a few too many… Thanks Lisa for contributing to the malaphor library!
I fall asleep at the drop of a dime
Posted: June 26, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, CLOTHING, dime, hat, sleep, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, congruent conflation, drop of a hat, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, stop on a dime, words 6 CommentsThis wonderful congruent conflation is a mash up of “at the drop of a hat” and “stop on a dime”, both meaning an action done instantly. Drop and stop are four letter words that rhyme, adding to the befuddlement. This beauty was heard at a court hearing. Kudos to Sam Edelmann for sending this one into Malaphor central!
I slept like a dog last night
Posted: June 18, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, ANIMALS, dog, sleep | Tags: blended idioms, dogs, expressions, humor, language, let sleeping dogs lie, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, out like a log, slept like a baby, words 1 CommentDogs sleep pretty soundly, but this is definitely a malaphor. It is a mash up of “slept like a log (or baby)” (restful sleep) and “let sleeping dogs lie” (do not instigate trouble). Nice mix up as it involves assonance (log, dog, and lie, like) and similar words in the phrases (sleep, dog). This beauty was uttered by John Costello, one of my roving malaphor reporters!
It’s like the cherry on top of the cake
Posted: June 5, 2014 Filed under: cake, cherry, FOOD | Tags: Animal Planet, blended idioms, cherry on top, congruent conflation, expressions, humor, icing on the cake, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idiom, treehouse masters, words 5 CommentsThis one was heard on the Animal Planet tv show, Treehouse Masters. Daryl, the foreman, was referring to a door on the treehouse that looked like a sarcophagus. It is a congruent conflation of “icing on the cake” and “cherry on top”, both meaning an extra enhancement to something. There are certainly cherries that appear on the top of some cakes, but not as common as sundaes. In fact there is a Quebec idiom, “la cerise sur le sundae”, also with the same meaning but the cherry is on the sundae, not cake. A shout out to my high school buddy, Marti Fenimore, for sending this one in!
I don’t know what kinda gun she’s been smoking
Posted: June 3, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, guns, smoke, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, smoking gun, what has she been smoking?, words Leave a commentOkay. Yes, this was actually unintentionally said on the Maury show last week. Husband was being accused of kissing his wife’s girlfriend and having an affair behind her back. The husband denied the accusation and said this malaphor about his wife to Maury. This is a mash up of “smoking gun” (indisputable sign of guilt) and “what have you been smoking?” (rhetorical question implying that the person is acting strange). There may be a freudian element here, as the husband might be admitting guilt through the use of a malaphor. Or maybe I am reading into this more than I should. A big thank you to John Hatfield for hearing this one!
Don’t wake up a sleeping dog
Posted: May 29, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, ANIMALS, dog, sleep | Tags: blended idioms, don't wake a sleeping giant, expressions, humor, language, let sleeping dogs lie, malaphor, malaphors, miami heat, mixed idioms, sun-sentinel, words 11 CommentsIt’s cold as hell outside
Posted: May 24, 2014 Filed under: hell | Tags: blended idioms, cold as shit, expressions, hot as hell, humor, it will be a cold day in hell, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, oxymorons, phrases, words Leave a commentThis is a jumble of several phrases, including “hot as hell”, “cold as shit”, and “it will be a cold day in hell when…” (unlikely event). This oxymoron malaphor is fairly common, considering the above expressions and the mixing of temperatures in the brain. Thanks to Sid Sher for sending this in and admitting he said it!
You had to figure out what you were going to do on a dime’s notice
Posted: May 20, 2014 Filed under: dime | Tags: blended idioms, cnn, congruent conflations, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, on a moment's notice, prepared to turn on a dime, words 7 CommentsSteve Grieme, one of the best malaphor spotters around, heard a beauty on CNN last week. A guy was videotaping some of the raging wildfires in Southern California. In response to a reporter’s question about people fleeing from their homes, he said, “Fight of flight. You had to figure out what you were going to do on a dimes notice”. This is a congruent conflation of “moment’s notice” and “be prepared to turn on a dime”, both meaning to act quickly. Thanks Steve!
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1405/17/cnr.03.html
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