Two things caught my eyebrow this week
Posted: March 25, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: caught my eye, expressions, humor, malaphor, raised some eyebrows, words Leave a commentThis was spotted on a facebook post. Sounds painful. It’s a nice mashup of “caught (one’s) eye (attention)” (attract one’s attention) and “raised a few eyebrows” (to elicit shock or surprise through unconventional actions or words). Both idioms involve the eye, and both involve getting one’s attention. I’m surprised that, considering the times we live in, there were only two things… A big thanks to Yvonne Stam for noticing this one and sending it in.
Kicking up the daisies
Posted: March 23, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, Kicking Daisies, kicking the bucket, malaphor, pushing up daisies, words Leave a commentThis was noticed on a tweet concerning people who don’t donate their organs when they die. Here is the tweet:
https://twitter.com/annamaclurex/status/1106972374631628800
It is a wonderful congruent conflation of “pushing up daisies” and “kick the bucket”, both phrases meaning to be dead. The writer may have had the band “Kicking Daisies” in her mind when she wrote the mashup. A big thanks to bittenbyfrost for noticing this one and sending it in.
Hang your heads high
Posted: March 22, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, hang your head, hold your head up high, humor, language, malaphor, Old Dominion, words Leave a commentThis one jumped to the front of the queue, as it is very timely. The speaker was discussing a recent NCAA mens’ basketball tournament game, and uttered this beauty about the Old Dominion University’s basketball game where they lost to Purdue in the first round. The speaker tweeted:
Hang your heads high @ODUMensHoops. You all made us proud this season. #MonarchMadness. https://twitter.com/Brackintology/status/1108947588697317377
This is a nice incongruent conflation of “hang (one’s) head” (express shame or contrition) and “hold (one’s) head (up) high” (to display confidence and pride). Perhaps the team is proud and ashame at the same time? The mixup originates with the two similar sounding words, “hang” and “hold”. A big thanks to Tom Justice who saw this one and sent it here to Malaphor Central.
He’s crazy as a bat
Posted: March 21, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: batshit crazy, crazy as a loon, crazy like a fox, expressions, malaphor, malaphors, Trump, words Leave a commentYou can guess who the speaker was referring to. This is a nice congruent conflation of “crazy as a bedbug (or loon)” and “batshit crazy”, both describing someone who is insane. “Bats in the belfry” also come to mind, although that is an old-fashioned phrase. “Crazy like a fox” (clever) might have been in the mix, but I doubt it based on the person the speaker was referring to. Hint: he denigrates war heroes, and even when they’re dead.
He’s like a kid in a china shop
Posted: March 18, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bull in a china shop, expressions, humor, kid in a candy shop, language, malaphor, malaphors, words 2 CommentsI heard this one from a neighbor. She was talking about her husband’s love of gadgets, and that he recently received a new tool that he was crazy about. This is an incongruent conflation of “like a kid in a candy shop” (so excited about something that they behave in a child-like way) and “like a bull in a china shop” (clumsily destructive). The mixup derives from the similar sounding words “china” and “candy”, the word “shop” used in both phrases, and that the two phrases are equal in words and structure (“like a blank in a blank shop”).
That is a mixed sword
Posted: March 16, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: double edged sword, expressions, humor, malaphor, mixed bag, words Leave a commentThis unintended utterance is a nice congruent conflation of “mixed bag” and “double edged sword”, both referring to something that has benefits and problems. Or maybe a Minecraft weapon? A big thanks to Craig Ormson for uttering and sharing this one!
Right out of the get-go
Posted: March 14, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, from the get-go, Getgo, Giant Eagle, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, out of the gate, words Leave a commentThis was heard on a podcast. It is a nice congruent conflation of “from the get-go” and “right out of the gate” (immediately, right from the start). Lots of alliteration in this one, contibuting to the mashup. This is not a malaphor in Pittsburgh, however. It means “just finished getting gas”. A big thanks to Vicki Ameel-Kovacs for hearing this one!
It’s a collusion witch hoax
Posted: March 12, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Donald Trump, expressions, hoax, humor, language, malaphor, Trump, witch hunt, words Leave a commentThis one is self-evident – spoken by Trump to the press on March 8 after the Manafort sentencing. This is a conflation of “witch hunt” (an attempt to blame and punish people who hold unpopular views and opinions, often under the guise of some other investigation) and “hoax” (to trick into believing as genuine something false). Maybe it was used intentionally as shorthand talk, like “Tim Apple”. A big thanks to Frank King for spotting this timely one.
That should give us a foot up
Posted: March 8, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, get a leg up, humor, language, malaphor, start out on the right foot, words 3 CommentsOverheard at a meeting. It is a congruent conflation of “get a leg up” and “a foot in the door”, both meaning to receive support or an advantage. “Start off on the right foot” (to have a favorable or positive start) may also be in the mix. I suppose getting a foot up is just a little advantage? Kudos to Martin Pietrucha for hearing this one and passing it on.
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