Lemmings running to their own slaughter
Posted: July 22, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cnn, malaphorsh, You Tube Leave a commentOn CNN’s YouTube channel there’s a clip entitled ‘Ex-Fox Reporter Reveals Why Tucker Carlson Is Lying About Vaccines’. At the 1:50 mark guest Carl Cameron remarks, “This is literally the metaphor of the lemmings running to their own slaughter”. Here is the clip:
This is a great congruent conflation of “like lemmings to the sea/running off a cliff” and “‘like a lamb to the slaughter”’, both meaning people going innocently and helplessly, without realizing the danger. A tip of the hat to Torre Thompson for spotting this gem. As Torre says, “either way, you’re left with a bunch of dead lemmings.” ‘Nuff said.
They are not out of the clear
Posted: September 16, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cnn, Dorian, expressions, humor, in the clear, James Joseph, malaphor, malaphors, out of danger, out of the woods, words Leave a commentJames Joseph, senior FEMA administrator, on CNN, told people in Florida not to ignore warnings and think themselves safe from the effects of the oncoming hurricane Dorian. It’s a congruent conflation of “out of the woods” and “in the clear”, both meaning to be free of danger. Perhaps the speaker was thinking of a clearing in the woods. “Out of danger”, also meaning to be free of danger, might also be in the mix. A big thanks to “my ol’ pal” Beatrice Zablocki for hearing this one.
Negotiating with Trump is like trying to talk to Jello
Posted: January 11, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cnn, humor, idioms, language, malaphor, nail jello to the wall, Richard Blumenthal, talking to a wall, Trump, wordplay, words Leave a commentSenator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) uttered this gem on CNN January 4, 2019. The context is regarding the recent Government shutdown over Trump’s proposed wall. This is a conflation of “like talking to a wall” (a futile conversation because the other party is not listening) and “like nailing Jello to a wall” (a futile attempt at something). Both idioms contain the word “wall” (appropriate in context, right?) and both concern something that is futile (a conversation or an attempt). A hat tip to Tom Justice for hearing this one!
The guardrails are coming off
Posted: January 9, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cnn, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, off the rails, Trump, wheels are coming off, wordplay, words 2 Comments
We’re going to leave nothing uncovered
Posted: October 29, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cnn, Donald Trump, expressions, humor, language, leave no stone unturned, leave nothing to chance, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentThis one comes from Donald Trump, explaining how he’s going to thoroughly investigate the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi. It is a great mash up of “leave no stone unturned” (to look for something in every possible place) and “leave nothing to chance” (to allow nothing to be settled by chance) or perhaps also “uncover the truth.” The added bonus here is that his mash up manages to mean exactly the opposite of what he intended.
Here is the link: https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/15/politics/trump-saudi-king-tweet/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0oO6TcAWywTPU6JF2RHzKe-sT4Om1yrgqoQe3HHCvX73Xayfp44icHKSI
A big thanks to David Barnes for spotting this one and sending it in.
He’s running the shots
Posted: August 17, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: calling the shots, cnn, expressions, idioms, malaphors, Mueller, New Day, running the show, Trump, words Leave a commentThis excellent malaphor was uttered by a CNN reporter on the program New Day on 8/9/18. The reporter was referring to Mueller, and his ongoing negotiations with Trump’s legal team with respect to an interview with Trump. It’s a congruent conflation of “running the show” and “calling the shots”, both referring to someone who is in control of the situation. “Show” and “shot” are both four letter words that have similar sounds, and I suspect the reason for the mental mix up. A big thank you to Mike Kovacs for hearing this one and sending it in.
Transparency is a two way sword
Posted: June 13, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cnn, David Axelrod, double edged sword, expressions, humor, James Clapper, malaphor, The Axe Files, Trump, two way street, words Leave a commentThis gem was uttered by James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, on CNN’s The Axe Files with David Axelrod. It is a mashup of “double-edged sword” (something that can be both beneficial and problematic) and “two-way street” (a situation where both sides must put forth an equal amount of effort to get a desired result). The reason for the mixup is obvious: “double” means “two”. Also, the two expressions are close in meaning. A big thanks to James Kozlowski for hearing this one and sending it in.
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Lay down the gauntlet
Posted: June 11, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cnn, expressions, humor, language, lay down the law, Maggie Haberman, malaphor, throw down the gauntlet, words Leave a commentThis was spoken on June 6 by New York Times’ reporter Maggie Haberman, appearing on CNN’s Inside Politics. It is a subtle mashup of “throw down the gauntlet” (to issue a challenge) and “lay down the law” (to give a directive or order sternly). I suppose one could lay down the gauntlet but throwing it seems much more appropriate. This expression alludes to the medieval practice of a knight throwing down his gauntlet, or metal glove, as a challenge to combat. Its figurative use dates from the second half of the 1700s. A big thanks once again to Frank King for hearing this one and throwing it my way. @MaggieNYT
They are kicking the can down the table
Posted: January 22, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chuck Schumer, cnn, come to the table, expressions, humor, kick the can down the road, language, malaphor, malaphors, Trump, words Leave a commentSimilar to the last post, this is another “kick the can down the road” malaphor. Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, said this one on CNN. He was explaining why he did not want to pass a CR. This is a mashup of “kick the can down the road” (to postpone or defer an action) and I think “come to the table”(to meet to negotiate a particular issue or situation). My guess is that Schumer combined these two thoughts as he is currently negotiating a deal to stop the government shutdown. New Yorkers talk faster than their thoughts. A big thanks to Beatrice Zablocki for hearing this one.
It popped eyebrows
Posted: June 1, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chris Cuomo, cnn, expressions, eye-popping, Grouch Marx, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, raised eyebrows, Trump, words 1 CommentChris Cuomo on CNN made this comment regarding a controversial statement. It is a nice mash up of “raised eyebrows” (something causing concern or surprise) and “eye-popping” (something astonishing). Perhaps Groucho Marx was on the speaker’s mind at the time. A tip of the hat to Ron MacDonald for hearing this one and sending it along.
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