It’s music to my eyes
Posted: February 28, 2014 Filed under: BODY PARTS, ear, eye | Tags: ears, expressions, eyes, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, music to my ears, sight for sore eyes, words 4 CommentsThe exact quote is “any fine gold in there would be music to my eyes”, recently heard on the show “Gold Rush” last Sunday. Given the context, the mash up is “music to my ears” (make someone happy) and “a sight for sore eyes” (a welcome sight), both describing the speaker’s emotions. As we have learned, mixing body parts is common in malaphors. A big shout out to Michael Ameel for hearing (and seeing) this one!
He was telling my ears off
Posted: January 25, 2013 Filed under: ACTION, BODY PARTS, ear | Tags: blended idioms, conflations, ears, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, talking my ear off, telling him off, words 1 CommentI heard this one at lunch yesterday from a former colleague, Cindy. We looked at each other and said, “malaphor”! It is a mash up of “talking my ears off” (excessive talking) and “telling me off” (scold someone). Telling also sounds like yelling, which I think also was going on.
Green behind the ears
Posted: August 8, 2012 Filed under: BODY PARTS, COLORS | Tags: blended idioms, ears, expressions, green, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, Obama, wet, words 3 CommentsThis is a blend of “green with envy” (jealous) and “wet behind the ears” (novice, inexperienced). I first heard this one back in 1984, and for some reason it seems to be a fairly common one. Even President Obama said it during the 2008 Obama/McCain debates – see my Malaphors in the Media section on this website to watch him. My guess on the mix up stems from the words green and wet, both adjectives for grass.
Perhaps a better interpretation comes from “my ol pal” in her comments. “Green behind the gills” (nauseated) might be the blended idiom with “wet behind the ears” given that gills and ears are in close proximity and that the words “around” and “behind” both indicate location and are also both 6 letter words. Let’s add to the equation “greenhorn” which means naive or new to the situation, identical to the definition of “wet behind the ears.” Not sure what I would do without you, “my ol pal”.
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