He’s barking up the wrong horse
Posted: October 22, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: backing the wrong horse, barking up the wrong tree, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentThis one was almost uttered and then held back, apparently realizing it was wrong. It is a nice mashup of “barking up the wrong tree” (to attempt a futile course of action) and “backing the wrong horse” (to support a person in an effort that fails). Both phrases involve failure, and “barking” and “backing” sound and look similar, hence the mix up. Also, the word “wrong” is in each idiom, contributing to the mental hiccup. As I have posted previously, idioms involving horses for some reason are frequently mixed up, causing malaphors. Go to the Malaphors web page and search “horse”. You will find a treasure trove of malaphors. As Kramer would say, “Giddyup!” A big thanks to John Kooser for almost belching out this one.
She was threading that line in the Trump Administration
Posted: October 20, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, Kathleen Parker, language, malaphor, malaphors, MSNBC, Nikki Haley, thread the needle, toe the line, Trump, words 1 CommentKathleen Parker from the Washington Post uttered this one on MSNBC (the malaphor channel), talking about Nikki Haley. It is a conflation of “toeing the line” (adhering to the rules of something) and “threading the needle” (pass something through a narrow space between two things). Both idioms make sense in context, and perhaps Ms. Parker’s malaphor is really an economical way of expressing two ideas at once. A big thanks to Jim Kozlowski for hearing this one and passing it on.
I want to thank you for giving me the down low
Posted: October 19, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alex Witt, down and dirty, expressions, humor, language, lowdown, malaphor, malaphors, MSNBC, words Leave a commentAlex Witt on MSNBC’s Live with Alex Witt uttered this on Saturday, October 13. It is a nice mashup of “get the lowdown” (receiving specific facts or information on a situation) and “get the down and dirty” (receive uninhibited and direct news). At first I thought he might have just inverted the phrase “the lowdown” but in context he was thinking of “down and dirty” as well. A big thanks to Frank King who always gives the down low.
We can break history
Posted: September 28, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ABC news, break the record, break wind, Donald Trump Jr., humor, language, make history, malaphor, malaphors, Trump, words Leave a commentThis is one of my favorites. Donald Trump Jr. uttered this one when discussing the upcoming midterm elections. He told ABC news, “So our people, the MAGA people, they have to turn out. They have to get out and vote. And I think we can break history.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-jr-father-trusts-smaller-group-aides-white/story?id=57735562
This is a mash up of “make history” (to do something historically significant) and I think “break a record” (to do something at a higher or greater degree than the greatest extent currently known). Both expressions refer to achieving something never before achieved so it is close to a congruent conflation. “Break with tradition” (to do something in a new way) might also be in the mix. I am tempted to say “break wind” (to expel gas, fart) was also on the speaker’s mind but that is just a guess. A big thanks to Jack Chandler for spotting this gem.
He knows where all the skeletons are buried
Posted: September 25, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: David Gura, expressions, malaphor, malaphors, MSNBC, skeletons in the closet, where all the bodies are buried, words Leave a commentThis was uttered by a guest on MSNBC’s Live with David Gura on Saturday September 15. It is a nice conflation of “skeletons in the closet” (embarrassing or shameful secrets) and “knows where all the bodies are buried” (know everything about someone, especially secret things that they might not want revealed). Bodies become skeletons when buried and rotting in the ground; hence the mash up. Also both expressions involve secrets. A big thanks to Frank King for hearing this one and dishing it up.
Floods of laughter
Posted: September 24, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, flood of tears, gales of laughter, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words 3 CommentsThis one was uttered by a work colleague talking about an Andy Kaufman bit that had an audience in “floods of laughter”. It is a mash up of “flood of tears” (crying a lot) and “gales of laughter” (laughing a lot). Not sure if the speaker is from the UK but if so “shakes with laughter” (uncontrollable laughter) might also be in the mix. Certainly gales (strong winds) can be associated with flooding caused by a hurricane. I would much prefer a flood of laughter, however. A big thanks to Matt Whittaker for hearing this one and sending it in.
He’s laid down a line
Posted: September 19, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: draw the line, expressions, Harry Litman, humor, language, lay down the law, malaphor, malaphors, Trump, words Leave a comment
It struck a heart string with many
Posted: September 17, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: congruent conflation, expressions, malaphor, malaphors, strike a chord, tug on my heart strings, words Leave a commentThis beauty comes from a Fox News article about Wendy’s employees making a blind couple’s eating experience a good one. The article states that “it struck a heart string with many.” This is a congruent conflation of “strike a chord” and “tug at (one’s) heart strings”, both meaning to elicit a strong emotional response to something. “Tugging” and “striking” are action words touching something and are probably the source of the mix up. Certainly one can make “chords” with “strings”, and perhaps the author was thinking of “cords” instead of “chords” as cords are strings. This is a classic malaphor. A big thanks to Margaret Grover for spotting this one and sending it in.
I have heard my malaphor book, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon, has struck many a heart string. You can get it now for a cheap $6.99 (normally $7.99). https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652205
You need to put your ducks in one basket
Posted: September 13, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: eggs in one basket, get your ducks in a row, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, word play Leave a commentThis one was overheard at a business meeting. It is a nice conflation of “get your ducks in a row” (get well-organized) and “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” (don’t risk everything on one venture). Idioms containing the words eggs, ducks, or baskets seem to get commonly jumbled. Type any one of these words in the search and you will find many postings on the subjects. A big thanks to John Hatfield III for hearing this one and sending it in.
They want to take me to bat
Posted: September 12, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bat around, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, Omarosa, take me to task, Trump, words Leave a commentDuring an interview on MSNBC on Sunday, 9/9/18, Omarosa Manigault Newman uttered this mix up. It is a mash up of “take me to task (scold or reprimand) and I believe, given the context, “bat for the other team” (to support, secretly or openly, the opposing side of a given contest or debate). “Bat around” (hit something around) might also be in the mix, again given the context. A big thanks to Bob Smith for hearing this one and sending it in.
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