We have to hit the deck running
Posted: September 29, 2014 Filed under: ground, PLACES | Tags: expressions, hit the deck, hit the ground running, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentIs this like boots on the ground? Not sure, but it was said on Fox News, so perhaps. This is a mash up of “hit the deck” (to fall down) and “hit the ground running” (start immediately). I suppose it is an appropriate phrase if on a ship, as the deck is the ground. However, in context it was certainly a malaphor. Running deck, as found on cruise ships, might also be in the speaker’s mind. A shout out to Jack Chandler for hearing this one and passing it along.
She’s a tough cookie to crack
Posted: September 27, 2014 Filed under: cookie, FOOD, nut | Tags: congruent conflation, congruent conflations, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, tough cookie, tough nut to crack, words Leave a commentThis is a congruent conflation of “tough cookie” and “a hard (or tough) nut to crack”, both describing difficult people to deal with. I suppose you can crack cookies, particularly if they are very stale. My mom would put a piece of bread in the cookie jar to avoid cracked cookies. A big thanks to Mary for blurting this one out, describing her very sassy cat. Apparently the cat is still a tough cookie to crack.
You nailed that right on the head
Posted: September 24, 2014 Filed under: BODY PARTS, head, nail, THINGS | Tags: congruent conflation, expressions, hit the nail on the head, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, nailed it, words 4 CommentsThis one comes to us courtesy of CBS Sports. Mike Carey, the “CBS Officiating Expert” on the NFL, said this beauty during the Denver-Kansas City game. This is a congruent conflation of “hit the nail on the head” and “nailed it”, both meaning to do exactly the right thing. This is a particular good one, as it is subtle and combines phrases with the same meaning. Some of the confusion lies in the visual of hammering a nail on its head. It is similar to “You hit it right on the nail”, reported on 8/29/12 in this website. A big thank you to Mike Kovacs for reporting this one!
I’m no expert on this subject by any stretch of the means
Posted: September 21, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blended idioms, by any means, by any stretch of the imagination, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 2 CommentsThis is a mash up of “by any stretch of the imagination” (as much as anyone could imagine) and “by any means” (by any way possible). Both phrases involve extremes, and share the words “by any”, hence the confusion. A salute to Barry Eigen (who by the way is a stretch of the nice) for hearing this one in a class and sharing it with us.
The shit hit the roof
Posted: September 20, 2014 Filed under: PLACES, roof | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, hit the roof, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, shit hit the fan, words 1 CommentWell, maybe in the Hitchcock movie “The Birds”, but in this case, the speaker was trying to say “the shit hit the fan” (when expected trouble materializes) and instead mixed it with “hit the roof” (get angry), creating a juicy (s0rry, wrong description), nice malaphor. Thanks to Katie Hatfield for her malaphor contribution.
It blows the roof off my doors
Posted: September 17, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blow the doors off, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, through the roof, words 3 CommentsThis seems to be a mash up of “blows the doors off” (very fast) and “hit the roof” (very angry). My ol’ pal says maybe “blows his lid”, which also means very angry. The context, however, was something exceeding expectations. which would indicate “go through the roof” (prices go exceedingly high) might be in play. A big thank you to Paul Brendel by way of Kevin Hatfield for reporting this one.
I’m biting my words
Posted: September 13, 2014 Filed under: ACTION, bite, BODY PARTS, tongue | Tags: bite my tongue, eat my words, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentPrecisely. That’s what we all do when we utter malaphors. This one is a mash up of “eating my words” (admission that what you said was wrong) and “biting my tongue” (stop yourself from speaking). The speaker, Kevin Hatfield, was attempting to say eating my words but perhaps felt he bit off more than he could chew. Biting and eating are part of the confusion, both actions by the mouth. “My” is also shared, adding to the mix up. Thanks to Kevin Hatfield for blurting this one out!
I was taken to the wolves
Posted: September 8, 2014 Filed under: wolves | Tags: expressions, humor, Jon Hein, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, taken to the cleaners, thrwon to the wolves, words Leave a commentI don’t make these up, folks. This wonderful malaphor is a mash up of “thrown to the wolves” (put someone in a situation where there is nothing to protect them) and “taken to the cleaners” (swindle someone). The words “taken” and “thrown”, both verbs and both starting with a “t”, may have been the root of the confusion. This mix up was said by Jon Hein, creator of the Jump the Shark website (now part of tvguide.com) and host of The Wrap Up Show on the Howard Stern channel on Sirius XM satellite radio. He was referring to a time that he was put in a compromising position. Interestingly, Jon Hein grew up in Pittsburgh (Mt. Lebanon). A fellow Pittsburgher and senior malaphor reporter, Mike Kovacs, heard this one and messaged it in. Thanks again, Mike!
You’ll end up chasing red herrings
Posted: September 6, 2014 Filed under: herring | Tags: chasing your tail, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, red herring, words 3 CommentsThis is a mash up of “chasing your tail” (busy but not achieving anything) and ” a red herring” (something that misleads or detracts from what is important). This was advice from a Judge to an attorney to have short deadlines to complete writing assignments, otherwise peripheral issues might be focused on that don’t really matter. The combination of the phrases creates a nice new one, meaning wasting time on non essential issues. So don’t sweat the small stuff, people. Interestingly, the origin of the phrase “red herring” supposedly comes from the training of hounds to follow scents. Red herrings would have a strong scent, and would be tied to the tails of hounds to make them concentrate on the actual scent that they were supposed to follow. A big thank you to John Costello for sending this one in.
I’m fuming at the mouth
Posted: September 2, 2014 Filed under: mouth | Tags: congruent conflation, expressions, foaming at the mouth, fuming, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, running on fumes, words 2 CommentsThis is a congruent conflation of “fuming over (someone or something)” and “foaming at the mouth”, both meaning to be extraordinarily angry. The context makes sense: the speaker was trying to make a left turn against oncoming traffic and said, “”I’ll call you back in a minute. I’m fuming at the mouth trying to make this left turn”. “Running on fumes” also may be in the mix, as car fumes might certainly have been on her mind as well. A big thanks to Joseph Newcomer for sending this one in!
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