2019 Malaphor of the Year – Number 4
Posted: December 29, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized 3 CommentsNumber 4 is a nice congruent conflation uttered by Trump in August. Several faithful malaphor followers caught this one.
It’s not number one on the burner
The Malaphorer in Chief, Donald Trump, uttered this beauty when he was discussing his idea to purchase Greenland. “It’s not number one on the burner, I can tell you that.” This is a congruent conflation of “not number one on the list” and “not on the front burner”, both meaning not a high priority. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kudlow-says-white-house-is-looking-at-trying-to-buy-greenland/2019/08/18/ab367b6c-c1bb-11e9-b5e4-54aa56d5b7ce_story.html.
This one was heard by several loyal malaphor followers, including Barry Eigen, Donna Calvert, and Frank King. This Trump malaphor is not the first. Check my book out, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors” (available on Amazon) for more mashups from him. There are also many more on this blog. Search “Trump”.
2019 Malaphor of theYear – Number 5
Posted: December 28, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentJoe Biden needs to get out and shake the flesh
This one conjured up a scary/humorous image. Former House Rep Joe Crowley (D-NY) (who was unseated by AOC) said this beaut on MSNBC. He was asked if he had any advice for the Biden campaign and this was his answer. It is a congruent conflation of “press the flesh” and “shake hands and kiss babies”, both meaning to go out and meet as many people as possible. Mike Kovacs, Chief Operating Officer for Malaphor Central, heard this one and sent it in immediately. Mike noted that there are several cheap jokes embedded in this malaphor. Crowley lost to AOC, who as many will remember shook the flesh in a great dance video. Also, Mike queried whether Biden at his age could shake the flesh considering the loss of elasticity, but I believe that actually works to Joe’s advantage.
2019 Malaphor of the Year – Number 6
Posted: December 28, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentI know this is what you have been anxiously waiting for – the Malaphor of the Year. It has been a great year for idiom mashups, many uttered by our Malaphorer in Chief, Donald Trump. In the past, I have narrowed the nominations down to five, but this year the competition was so stiff that I added a sixth nomination. So without further ado (drum roll please), let the countdown begin with Number 6, a perfectly formed blend:
He’s a pillar of salt (submitted May 2019)
This one came from Cape Town, South Africa. One of the contestants on the tv show “The Bachelor South Africa” was describing her dad. It is a mix of “pillar of strength” (a supportive or emotionally strong person) and “salt of the earth” (a genuine and morally sound person). Both idioms describe a person of good character, probably creating the confusion. Also, as the contibutor of this malaphor said, the speaker may have been thinking of that Biblical pillar of salt, Lot’s wife. A big thanks to Erika Bornman who heard this beauty and sent it in all the way from Cape Town, South Africa.
You hit it right off the park
Posted: December 27, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, hit it out of the park, humor, malaphor, malaphors, right off the bat, words Leave a commentThis was heard on a conference call. This is a nice baseball metaphor mashup of “hit it out of the park” (to do something successful or an outstanding achievement) and “right off the bat” (immediately, without delay). Now if the person had hit it right off the bat and out of the park that would be an immediate outstanding achievement, right? Or just a home run? By the way, it seems like hitting it out of the park is a favorite idiom to mashup. A few past examples for your reading pleasure are “we really nailed it out of the park” https://malaphors.com/2015/08/18/we-really-nailed-it-out-of-the-park/ and “they blew it out of the park” https://malaphors.com/2012/10/27/they-blew-it-out-of-the-park/ A big thanks to Mike Kovacs for hearing this one and sending it in right off the park to malaphor central.
Facebook is a bubble chamber
Posted: December 20, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: echo chamber, expressions, facebook, humor, language, live in a bubble, malaphor, malaphors, words 1 CommentThe “Great Malaphor Hunter”, Mike Kovacs, uttered this one at lunch the other day. He was talking about Facebook posts and how people don’t engage in actual discussions with others with opposing views. This is a nice mashup of “live in a bubble” (separated from society or sheltered) and “echo chamber” (a metaphorical description of a situation in which beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication and repetition inside a closed system). When I heard this, I immediately thought of Get Smart and the “cone of silence”. A big thanks to Anthony Kovacs for outting his Dad, malaphorically speaking.
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It’s a bunch of humbo jumbo
Posted: December 16, 2019 Filed under: WORD BLENDS | Tags: expressions, humbug, humor, language, malaphor, mumbo jumbo, Trump, words Leave a commentSomeone was referring to the Repbulicans’ defense in the Trump impeachment hearings. This is a nice word blend of “humbug” (deceptive or false talk) and “mumbo jumbo” (intended to cause confusion). Both expressions refer to misleading someone. Maybe it’s a new expression, meaning deceptive talk meant to confuse? A big thanks to John Kooser who overheard this one.
I was elected to “Clean the Swamp”
Posted: December 15, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: clean house, drain the swamp, expressions, humor, idioms, malaphor, malaphors, Trump, words Leave a commentThis was uttered by President Trump in a December 5, 2019 tweet. Here it is:
..trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business. We will have Schiff, the Bidens, Pelosi and many more testify, and will reveal, for the first time, how corrupt our system really is. I was elected to “Clean the Swamp,” and that’s what I am doing!
Trump’s mantra has always been “drain the swamp”, so I believe this is a malaphor, conflating “drain the swamp” with “clean house”, both meaning to wipe out corruption or inefficiency. A big thanks to Sandor Kovacs for spotting this one and sending it in.
He’s on a thin leash
Posted: December 11, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: humor, idioms, malaphor, on a tight leash, on thin ice Leave a commentThis beauty was uttered by someone who was asked if he thought the Cowboys’ football coach, Jason Garrett, would be fired soon. It is a mashup of “on thin ice” (close to being in trouble) and “on a tight leash” (strict control over someone). The words “thin” and “tight” are close in sound and meaning. A big thanks to John Kooser who heard this one and passed it on!
Trump walked in like an elephant in a china shop
Posted: December 9, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bull in a china shop, elephant in the room, expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, Morning Joe, Trump, words 4 CommentsNicole Wallace on Morning Joe uttered this nice malaphor. It is a mashup of “bull in a china shop” (one who is aggressive and clumsy in a situation that requires care and delicacy) and “the elephant in the room” (an obvious truth or fact that is being intentionally ignored or left unaddressed). Not sure what would cause more damage in a china shop – a bull or an elephant? By the way, elephants are a common source of malaphors: just type the word “elephant” in the search engine on my website and you will find a treasure trove of elephant malaphors. a big thanks to Donna Calvert for hearing this one and passing it on.
Want to see more elephant malaphors? Chedk out my book, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other malaphors” and see a whole chapter devoted to pachyderm mashups. Available on Amazon for a cheap $7.99.
The Republicans run cover for Trump
Posted: December 5, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Charlie Sykes, give cover, Hardball, humor, language, malaphor, MSNBC, run point, Trump Leave a commentPolitical pundit Charlie Sykes uttered this one on MSNBC’s Hardball (hosted by the Malaphor King, Chris Matthews – see website for the many contributions). This is a mashup of “run point” (take the lead) and “give cover” (protect from attack). Perhaps Mr. Sykes was thinking (or hoping) about “running for cover”, but there is no indication any Republican is doing that at this point. A big thanks to Frank King for hearing this one and sharing it.
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