I’ve just spent the last thirty years busting my arse off
Posted: August 9, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: busted my ass, congruent conflation, expressions, Gordon Ramsay, humor, malaphor, words, worked my arse off Leave a commentThis mix up can be heard by Gordon Ramsay on his Masterclass trailer. It is a congruent conflation of “worked my arse off” and “busted my ass”, both meaning to work very hard at something. The former idiom is heard primarily in the UK, while the latter is heard mostly in the US. This malaphor, then, is perhaps an “across the pond” blend? Maybe Ramsay spent too much time in Hollywood. The posterior seems to be popular in malaphors. To see more, type “ass” in the search engine on the website. You’ll see such classics as “he was drunk out of his ass” and “you need to get your ass together”. https://malaphors.com/2015/08/27/you-need-to-get-your-ass-together/ https://malaphors.com/2018/06/28/he-was-drunk-out-of-his-ass/
A big thanks to Ben Glass who heard this one and sent it in. You can hear the malaphor by clicking this link: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gordon-ramsay-teaches-cooking
Now we get into the heat of the meat
Posted: August 7, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cohen, expressions, heart of the matter, humor, in the heat of the moment, language, malaphor, meat of the matter, Stephen Colbert, Trump, words Leave a commentStephen Colbert, in his 7/25/18 monologue, uttered this one when discussing the Cohen tape on the Trump payoff of the McDougall matter. Here’s the link to the video:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6q7km5
It is a mashup of “in the heat of the moment” (doing something without thinking) and “the meat of the matter” (the most important or essential element of an issue or problem). “Heart of the matter” (same definition as “meat of the matter”) might also be in play, as “heart” and “heat” are similar in sound and looks. A big thanks to Sam Edelmann for hearing this one and sending it in.
I set the die that day
Posted: August 6, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: die is cast, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, Sean Spicer, set the tone, Trump, words 2 CommentsSean Spicer, during an interview with the BBC, regretted his poor performance in discussing the size of the Trump inauguration crowd on his first day as Press Secretary. he then uttered this classic. It is a mashup of “set the tone” (establish the manner in which something will be conducted) and “the die is cast” (a course of action is finalized). My guess is that the speaker was thinking of die casting, the process used to produce metal parts. Given the amount of lies from Mr. Spicer’s boss’s lips in the past two years, I think he definitely set the die.
“My Ol’ Pal” has a slightly different take. She says: “When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, he was said to have stated “The die is cast,” meaning that he had decided the fate of Rome. Perhaps Sean Spicer was thinking that he had determined the future of the administration’s falsifications with his pronouncement about the size of the crowd at the inauguration.” Indeed. For the quote, see 3:55 mark at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06fkvhp
It’s sometimes not up to Hoyle
Posted: July 26, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: according to Hoyle, expressions, Hoyle, humor, malaphor, up to snuff, words Leave a comment
Trump continues to play straight out of Putin’s pocket
Posted: July 25, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, Joe Scarborough, language, malaphor, Morning Joe, playbook, pocket, Trump, words Leave a commentThis terrific mashup was spoken by Joe Scarborough on his show, “Morning Joe”, on July 17, 2018. It is a conflation of “a page out of (someone’s) playbook” (to behave or act like someone else) and “in (someone’s) pocket” (under someone’s direct control or influence). This mix up has its own unique connotation: someone who is directed by someone else and is following that person’s command or orders. A big thanks to James Kozlowski for hearing this one and sending it in.
Trump held Michael Cohen at arm’s distance
Posted: July 23, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: at arm's length, congruent conflation, expressions, humor, keep at a distance, malaphor, malaphors, Michael Cohen, MSNBC, Stephanie Rhule, Trump, words Leave a commentThis ditty was uttered on July 20 by Stephanie Ruhle on MSNBC’s “Velshi and Ruhle”. It is a nice congruent conflation of “at arm’s length” and “keep at a distance”, both meaning to keep someone from becoming too close. Perhaps a “distance” is farther than an “arm”? I imagine that fits in this context. A big thanks to Frank King, the Mental Health Comedian, for hearing this one and sending it in.
Everyone runs for the fences
Posted: July 22, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, Fox News, head for the hills, humor, language, malaphor, Martha MacCallum, swing for the fences, Trump, words Leave a commentMartha MacCallum on Fox News said this nicely formed malaphor. It is a mashup of “run (or head) for the hills” (depart quickly) and “swing for the fences” (to act or perform with maximum intensity). In baseball, you swing and then run, and that is possibly the mental image the speaker had when she uttered this one. Also, the word “for” is common in both phrases. A big thanks to Ralph Aikman for hearing this one and sending it in.
They really had to think on their toes
Posted: July 21, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: be on your toes, expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, think on your feet, words 4 CommentsThis malaphor comes courtesy of a local Birmingham Alabama news story about firemen rescuing people caught in a flash flood. A fireman said: “ The firefighters really had to think on their toes due to the changing conditions. “ This is an excellent example of a congruent conflation, mixing “think on (one’s) feet” and “be on your toes”, both meaning to be alert and react quickly. Obviously the mix here is “toes” and “feet”. A big thanks to David Stephens who was on his toes for this one.
He’s turning over a new lease on life
Posted: July 20, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: a new lease on life, expressions, humor, idioms, malaphor, malaphors, turning over a new leaf, words Leave a commentThis perfectly formed malaphor is a mashup of “turning over a new leaf” (to change one’s behavior, usually in a positive way) and “a new lease on life” (a new chance for happiness, usually after a hardship). “New” is common to both idioms, and the words “lease” and “leaf” are similar sounding. Both I think contributed to the mental mix up. A big thanks to Martin Pietrucha for sharing this one with the malaphor world.
If you liked this malaphor you’ll love my book on the subject, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon for a cheap $6.99. A must for every bathroom library.
I’m trying to keep an open book
Posted: July 19, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: an open book, expressions, humor, keep an open mind, language, malaphor, words 1 CommentA physician asked someone about doing a fellowship. The response was this nice malaphor. It is a mashup of “keep an open mind” (to avoid making a judgment about something before considering it) and “I’m an open book” (a person’s life with no secrets). “Open” is the source of the mix up here. A big thanks to Jesse Garwood for sharing this one and admitting saying it!
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