They help put all the ducks in place
Posted: April 20, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ducks in a row, expressions, fall in place, humor, idioms, language, malaphor, words Leave a commentMy wife and I heard this one on the PBS Newshour. A person was talking about how her parents are helping her during the pandemic. This is a congruent conflation of “put your ducks in a row” and “fall in place”, both meaning to be organized or things fitting well. I supposed one needs to put the ducks in their place when arranging them in a row.
I went around his back
Posted: April 15, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, idioms, jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, language, malaphor, went around him, went behind his back, words Leave a commentAt first blush, this sounds right but on closer inspection I think it’s a bona fide malaphor. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Jennifer Aniston said this one when she was talking about auditioning for a role on the soap opera in which her Dad was a regular cast member. It’s a congruent conflation of “go behind (someone’s) back” and “go around”, both meaning to do something secretly or without your permission. This subtle mashup required someone with the ears of a hawk and that would be none other than Mike Kovacs, a regular contributor to this website. Thanks Mike!
I’m going to go with my first gut
Posted: April 10, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: first impression, gut feeling, humor, idioms, malaphor, malaphors, mashup, words Leave a commentA college student was tired of over thinking multiple choice test questions and said this malaphor. It is a nice mashup of “first impression” (opinion formed on first meeting someone) and “gut feeling” (an instinct or intuition about something). Both expressions involve immediate reactions to something, and are visceral in nature. Of course, a tight belt forms a first and second gut as well. A big thanks to John Kooser who heard this one and passed it on.
The Captain of the aircraft carrier didn’t raise alarm bells
Posted: April 8, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Courtney Kubeg, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, raise the alarm, ring the bell, words Leave a comment
But what if the whole thing goes belly under?
Posted: April 6, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: belly up, covid-19, expressions, go under, humor, idioms, malaphor, words Leave a commentThe speaker, who is a flight attendant, was talking to her son about possibly taking a voluntary leave of absence in light of covid-19, but fearful about the financial status of her airline company that she works for. This is a nice congruent conflation of “going under” and “going belly up”, both referring to a business that goes bankrupt or cleases to exist. This is a directional (“under” vs. “up”) mixup, common in the malaphor world. A big thanks to Jody Compton for uttering this one, recognizing it as a bona fide malaphor, and sending it in.
Trump is digging in his feet
Posted: April 3, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Ari Melber, dig your heels in, drag your feet, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, MSNBC, words 1 Comment
The covid-19 thing has really thrown a wrench in us sideways
Posted: March 30, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, knock someone sideways, language, malaphor, threw me for a loop, throw a monkey wrench in the works, Washington Post, words Leave a commentThis one comes from the Washington Post. It is a mashup of “throw a (monkey) wrench in the works” (to do something that prevents a plan from succeeding) and “knock (someone) sideways” (to upset, confuse, or shock). Maybe “thrown (someone) for a loop” (to confuse or shock) is also in the mix. The expression “throw a (monkey) wrench in the works” seems to be garbled a lot. I have posted several malaphors involving the expression, including “throw another kink in the fire”, “a wrench had been thrown in the bucket”, and “he really threw a monkey wrench into that fire”. https://malaphors.com/2017/11/01/throw-another-kink-in-the-wrench/, https://malaphors.com/2016/10/04/a-wrench-had-been-thrown-into-the-bucket/, https://malaphors.com/2013/02/08/he-really-threw-a-monkey-wrench-into-that-fire/
Here’s the cite:
A tip of the hat to Barry Eigen who spotted this timely malaphor.
He needs to get his act in gear
Posted: March 28, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: eggcorn, expressions, get your act together, get your ass in gear, humor, malaphor, words 1 CommentThis simple but great malaphor was uttered on the Kojo Nnamdi NPR radio program during a panel discussion. The speaker could not be identified. It is a mashup of “get his act together” (improve) and “get his ass in gear” (hurry up). “Act” and “ass” sound alike so this almost is like an eggcorn. What is an eggcorn, you might ask? An eggcorn is an idiosyncratic substitution of a word or phrase for a word or words that sound similar or identical in the speaker’s dialect (sometimes called oronyms). The new phrase introduces a meaning that is different from the original but plausible in the same context, such as “old-timers’ disease” for “Alzheimer’s disease” (Wikipedia).
I have heard this malaphor often, and am surprised I have never posted this one. A big thanks to David Barnes for hearing this one and sending it in.
We’re behind the ball
Posted: March 24, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: behind the curve, behind the eight ball, expressions, humor, James Hamblin, language, malaphor, on the ball, Reliable Sourcesj, words Leave a commentThis one was uttered by James Hamblin on the CNN show Reliable Sources. It’s a mashup of “behind the curve” (something or someone not quite able to keep up), and “behind the eight ball” (in a difficult situation or at a disadvantage). Either way I think Mr. Hamblin is right! “Behind” is found in both idioms, creating the mental hiccup. “On the ball” (alert or aware) might also be in the mix, but I doubt that the speaker was thinking that way, given the context. A big thanks to John Polk from @ClichesGoneWild for posting this one! @jameshamblin @ReliableSources
When the chips are falling apart
Posted: March 23, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, let the chips fall where they may, malaphor, when the chips are down, words Leave a commentThe submitter’s doctor has been sending daily emails with COVID-19 updates. One update contained today’s malaphor. Here’s the whole paragraph:
It’s happening. Antivirals, old drugs, and new drugs, monoclonal antibodies, filters, passive use of recovered patient serum. When the chips are falling apart, that is when we find the strength to rebuild. That is who we are.
This is a mashup of “when the chips are down” (a stuation has become difficult) and “let the chips fall where they may” (allow events to unfold naturally). Both expressions have the word “chips” in them, probably the source of the conflation. Also, “things are falling apart” (collapsing or breaking down) is probably in the mix, considering “falling apart” is part of the malaphor and it fits in context. A shout out to Barry Eigen who spotted this one. Barry also noted that in 2016 the chips in chip credit cards were falling apart. https://jennstrathman.com/chip-cards-already-falling-apart/.
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