Let’s draw hats
Posted: August 28, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, CLOTHING, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, draw straws, expressions, hats, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentMy workplace held an annual golf tournament. One year we had some late entries creating some uneven teams. It was uncertain how we would create the late foursomes. “The Master” immediately blurted out, “let’s draw hats!” Most of the folks in the room did not blink an eye and immediately understood what he suggested, but I quickly jotted down the malaphor masterpiece. This mash-up involves the phrases “draw straws” and “pick names out of a hat” (both methods to pick teams).
Drawing Straws (Photo credit: lucianvenutian)
Sitting on their hands and needles
Posted: August 27, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, pins and needles, portmanteau, words Leave a commentOne of my all time favorites, this little ditty was spoken by “the master” in response to a group of employees’ anxiety awaiting the announcement of several promotions. Why is this a thing of beauty? He mixes “sitting on their hands” (procrastinating or delaying) with “on pins and needles” (anxiously awaiting an outcome), which simultaneously describes the employees’ jobs (sedentary as they were paralegals) with their emotional state. This compression of two phrases into a better phrase reminds my “ol pal” of Lewis Carroll’s use of “Portmanteau words” where two words are mashed together to form a new & better word like “chortle” (chuckle & snort) or “frumuous” (fuming & furious).
He’s going to bite the farm
Posted: August 26, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, PLACES | Tags: bite, blended idioms, death, dust, expressions, farm, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentA mix-up of two idioms meaning “to die” – “bite the dust” and “buy the farm”. Perhaps the speaker was thinking of the drought that has caused farmland to turn to dust. Or maybe sometimes those farm animals will bite you in the butt….
You can’t pull one over on my eyes
Posted: August 25, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, CLOTHING | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, eyes, malaphors, mixed idioms, pull, tricked, words 1 CommentThis malaphor seems very straightforward – a blend of “put one over on me” and “pull the wool over my eyes”. Both idioms mean “to be fooled” and both contain the word “over”, hence the confusion. The word “pullover” also might have been jumbled in the subconscious as in a “pullover sweater” which of course goes over the eyes. In blending both idioms, the speaker was undoubtedly trying to be particularly emphatic about not being tricked!
Cream of the cake
Posted: August 24, 2012 Filed under: FOOD | Tags: blended idioms, cake, cream, expressions, icing, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis mash-up involves the phrase “icing on the cake” (something extra on a successful endeavor) and “cream of the crop” (finest or best). The speaker not only thought his object was great but somehow a cut above the best? Since that describes this website, I have included it in the tagline. 🙂
Throw it out of the woodwork
Posted: August 23, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, PLACES, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, crawl, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, woodwork, words Leave a commentI had to enlist my “ol’ pal” to sort this one out. She states that “crawled out of the woodwork” means something hidden came to light unexpectedly (like a cockroach or anything/anyone unwelcome). “Thrown out for discussion” represents ideas that have to be considered by the group before a decision can be reached. “Throw it out of the woodwork” seems to indicate forcing something hidden into the light of day, something that must be revealed. I think she has hit the nail on the jackpot with this one.
Put my neck out on a limb
Posted: August 22, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, limb, malaphors, mixed idioms, neck, words 2 CommentsThis one is pretty straightforward and pretty common – a mash up of “stuck my neck out” and “go out on a limb”. Both idioms have the same meaning (put yourself in potentially a disadvantageous position to support someone or something) and are about the same length. Confusion thus reigns.
He has a punch like a mule
Posted: August 21, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, ANIMALS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, kick, malaphors, mixed idioms, mule, punch, words Leave a commentThe speaker meant to say “kick like a mule” (kick very hard) so we know this is one phrase in the mash-up, but what was she thinking when she said “punch”? “Punched out” comes to mind, but also “punch like a girl” (soft hitting) also could have been in the subconscious, particularly since the words “girl” and “mule” are both four letters long and end with the L sound. All I know is when I heard it something just didn’t sound right, a true endorsement for a good malaphor.
I have it on the tip of my hand
Posted: August 20, 2012 Filed under: BODY PARTS | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, finger, hand, malaphors, mixed idioms, tip of my tongue, words Leave a commentThis is another classic uttered by “the master”. I remember he was trying to say “on the tip of my tongue” (a word or phrase that can’t be remembered) just out of reach) but what is the mix-up? At first I thought it was “at my fingertips” (within reach) but my “ol pal” reminded me that the phrase “tip my hand” (revealed something that was hidden, such as in a card game) was probably the culprit and I agree. The speaker perhaps was thinking tongue or finger but his unconscious grabbed the wrong body part, as we have seen in prior malaphors.
We need to broaden the umbrella
Posted: August 19, 2012 Filed under: THINGS | Tags: big tent, blended idioms, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, umbrella, words Leave a commentHeard on a conference call last year, initially this mix-up seems to blend “broaden our base” with “under the umbrella”. “Broaden one’s base” often means looking elsewhere (for an answer, for more sales contacts, for new ideas, etc.) while “Under the umbrella” often means getting everyone together on something (a plan, an idea, a path` to take, etc.). The two thoughts are almost contradictory – one goes outside while the other gathers everyone together to agree on something or do something. However, ultimately I think the speaker was thinking “big tent” (embracing people with different values or visions) and that since both an umbrella and a tent covers things (e.g., rain), the malaphor was uttered.
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