It’s Monday so I guess it’s back to the old bump and grind
Posted: March 18, 2013 Filed under: bump, grind | Tags: blended idioms, bump and grind, expressions, grind, humor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis beauty is an incongurent conflation of “the old grind” and “bump and grind”, two expressions that have nothing to do with each other except for a certain profession. Props to Sally Adler who heard this on the NPR show “Way with Words”. Have fun with this one!
He’s really having his day in the shade
Posted: March 16, 2013 Filed under: shade, sun | Tags: blended idioms, day in the sun, expressions, humor, language, made in the shade, malaphors, mixed idioms, shade, sun, words 3 Comments
Hold your jets!
Posted: March 15, 2013 Filed under: ANIMALS, horse, jets | Tags: blended idioms, cool your jets, expressions, hold your horses, horses, humor, jets, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis malaphor was spoken by a dad who was telling his son to stop messing with the car radio. After blurting it out he immediately knew to contact the Malaphor King. This is a mash up of “hold your horses” and “cool your jets”, both meaning to slow down or control one’s excitement.
That’s hogcock
Posted: March 13, 2013 Filed under: WORD BLENDS | Tags: 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, blended idioms, expressions, hogwash, humor, Jack Donaghy, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, poppycock, television, words 2 Comments
Jack Donaghy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This word blend malaphor was uttered on the t.v. show 30 Rock by Alec Baldwin’s character, Jack Donaghy. In fact, it was the title (Hogcock!) of the first part of the one hour series finale. It is a blend of “hogwash” and “poppycock”, as the character says.
Don’t let the bean out of the bag
Posted: March 12, 2013 Filed under: ANIMALS, bean, cat, FOOD | Tags: beans, blended idioms, cat, cat out of the bag, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, spill the beans, words Leave a commentThis strange expression is a mash up of “cat out of the bag” and “spill the beans”, both meaning to give away a secret or surprise. The speaker may also have been thinking of bean bags. Who didn’t have a bean bag chair adorning their living room in the 70s and 80s? Mine was a beautiful pukish brown with a corduroy cover – stylish. Thanks to Cathy Miller for this one!
Bean Bag Chair (Photo credit: Clover_1)
It will probably go belly under
Posted: March 9, 2013 Filed under: belly, BODY PARTS | Tags: belly up, blended idioms, congruent conflation, expressions, go under, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 2 CommentsThe context of this malaphor was in reference to a newly opened restaurant that probably will not survive. This is a congruent conflation of “going belly up” and “going under”, both meaning business failure. Again, direction seems to be the hang up in this one (and many other previously posted ones), and of course that both phrases have the same meaning. A big thank you to Jody Compton for serving this one up!
She always wants to be in the know-it-all
Posted: March 8, 2013 Filed under: know-it-all | Tags: blended idioms, conflations, expressions, humor, know-it-all, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis is a conflation of “in the know” and “know-it-all”. Apparently being in the know is not enough for this person. A big shout out to Mitch Hoyson for spotting this gem!
That’s water under the dam
Posted: March 6, 2013 Filed under: bridge, dam, THINGS, water | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, water over the dam, water under the bridge, words Leave a commentThis is a commonly used malaphor, blending two idioms – “water under the bridge” and “water over the dam” – that contain the same word (water) and have the same meaning (past and unchangeable events). Add two words that both describe direction (over and under), and two structures that are in or over water (dams and bridges) and you get a subtle mix-up. I have posted a few similar malaphors – see “that’s water over the bridge” (8/4/12) and “that’s just blood under the bridge” (11/9/12). Many thanks to John Costello for this one.
It’s time to take the bull by the tail
Posted: March 5, 2013 Filed under: bull, horns, tail | Tags: blended idioms, bull by the horns, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, tiger by the tail, words 3 CommentsThis visual mash-up mixes “take the bull by the horns” (confront an issue openly) with probably “has the world by the tail” or “has a tiger by the tail”. Heads and tails are part of the confusion, and I don’t think either end is preferable. Thanks to Joseph Newcomer for sending this one to me!
Give the dog his due
Posted: March 3, 2013 Filed under: ANIMALS, dog | Tags: blended idioms, dog, every dog has its day, expressions, give credit where credit is due, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis delightful saying is a mash up of “give credit where credit is due”, “give the devil his due”, and “every dog has its day”. Perhaps there is a homonym mix up here as well, as in “dog doo”? Who knows what lurks in the subconscious mind? A shout out to Bill B. who heard this one from Dr. Marty Kraus.
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