Pittsburgh is a blue market town

Posted: March 15, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My son was describing Pittsburgh and uttered this malaphor.  It is a combo of “small market” (sports term for a team that struggles to compete financially with teams from larger markets) and ” blue collar” (working class or having to do with manual labor).  “Black market” (business of buying or selling illegal goods) may also be in the mix, confusing blue and black.   Perhaps this phrase will catch on and describe those cities that are both small market and blue collar (Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit, etc).  Thanks to Kevin Hatfield for passing this one along!

I don’t harbor any luggage

Posted: March 14, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pretty whacky, but it was said by the Rochester NY school board President.  “‘I don’t harbor any luggage from our battle over mayoral control,’ White said, noting he and Duffy have known one another for years.”  This is a mash up of “harbor (or hold) a grudge” (to have persistent ill feelings toward another) and “excess (or a lot of) baggage” (a personal history or traumatic experience that has become burdensome).  This is an interesting malaphor as the word luggage does not appear in any of the mixed idioms.  Baggage and luggage are synonymous and also sound alike, so this is where the mix up occurred.  Also “grudge” and “luggage” have similar sounds so the brain might have tried to pluck “grudge” from the swirl of words and instead picked “baggage”.  A big thank you to John Costello for reading this one and passing it on.

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut twice a day

Posted: March 13, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

This congruent conflation was uttered by a former colleague in a training session.  He mixed the sayings “even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile” and “even a broken clock is right twice a day”, both meaning someone who is misguided  can still be correct by luck or by chance.   Both idioms start with “even a” which probably created the mash up.  A big thanks to Tim Stueve for hearing this one and passing it on!

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He’s sharp as a whip

Posted: March 11, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This malaphor was heard on “Hardball” with Chris Matthews.  Political pundit Charles Cook was describing former Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards, now elderly, whom he saw recently.  This is a congruent conflation of “smart as a whip” and “sharp as a tack”, both meaning to be very intelligent.  Both idioms contain the same number of words, and “sharp” and “smart” have similar sounds.  I can see where these metaphor can be easily mixed.  A big shout out to “my ol’ pal” Beatrice Zablocki for hearing this one and passing it on!

 

This lets them fire on both barrels

Posted: March 10, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

This is a nice subtle malaphor, conflating “with both barrels” (with as much energy as possible) and “fire on all cylinders” (to function as efficient as possible).  Both idioms are similar in meaning, and both involve combustion. “Both” and “all” might also be contributing to the confusion.  In context, the writer was discussing certain marketers that produce content efficiently but also are audience-focused.  Hence “this lets them fire on both barrels: quantity and quality.”  A big thanks to Marcia Riefer Johnston for sending this one in!  You can boost your writing skills by visiting her wonderful website at http://writing.rocks.

He’s not the sharpest light bulb in the pack

Posted: March 4, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What’s with light bulbs and tools being confused?  A familiar mash up, this time the congruent conflation is “not the sharpest tool in the shed” and “not the brightest light bulb in the pack”, both describing someone who is not very intelligent.  The various sayings describing a dimwit are similar sounding and involve something in a unit or package that is unique, hence the confusion.   I have posted other variations on this theme – see https://malaphors.com/2015/12/07/youre-not-the-brightest-toolbox-in-the-shed/ and https://malaphors.com/2013/06/24/not-the-brightest-tool-in-the-shed/.

I call the above “idiom overload” when there are just too many sayings swirling around in the head that have the same meaning.  Another example of idiom overload is describing the obvious: “is the Pope Catholic?”. “Does a bear shit in the woods?” etc.  These get mixed up regularly.  A big thanks to Gary Kelly for hearing this one and passing it on!

 

 

 

We don’t want to get caught with our pants off

Posted: March 1, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Marykathryn strikes again!  In preparing for a trial, she and her husband were discussing strategy and who was going to do what. She told him they had better really study the transcript from the Deposition and be prepared to catch the witness in any lies. He agreed. She then uttered, “Well after all, we do not want to get caught with our pants off.”  This is a great congruent conflation of “caught off guard” and “caught with our pants down”, both meaning to be taken by surprise.  This is an amusing mash up, for many reasons.  First, it uses the word “off” in the wrong place.  Adding to the confusion is the word “caught” found in both phrases.  “Pants off” and “pants down” achieve the same purpose, so I can see why the speaker mixed up her idioms.   Another shout out to Marykathryn Kopec for providing a great malaphor!

She’s got a new project on the fire

Posted: February 26, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
This malaphor was spoken on Entertainment Tonight. It is a mash up of “iron(s) in the fire” (an undertaking or project in progress) and a project “on the front burner” (receiving immediate attention), although “on the back burner” (not requiring immediate attention) might be in the mix if the project is not quite “on the fire”.  “On fire” (doing very well, enthusiastic) may also be in play if the project is really heating up. Burners are associated with fire so my guess is that this where the mix-up occurred in the brain. Many thanks to Jack Chandler for hearing this one and passing it on.

It didn’t carry any water with the Judge

Posted: February 22, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

This was heard on NPR’s Morning Edition.  The reporter was describing the argument on the motion to dismiss the criminal charges in Pennsylvania by Bill Cosby’s lawyers as follows: “it didn’t carry any water with the judge.”  This is a mashup of  “carry weight with” (be influential) and “carry (someone’s) water” (do someone’s bidding or to be subservient to someone).   The word carry is used in the same phrases contributing to the mix up.  Weight and water both begin with W and have similar sounds.   Also, the visual of a water carrier (Aquarius or Adam Sandler?) might have “sprung” up in the speaker’s mind.   A big thanks to multiple malaphor contributor Yvonne Stam for hearing this one!  She has ears like a hawk.

 

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He bent over hoops for me

Posted: February 19, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Now that’s impressive!  This ditty was overheard at a benefits hearing where the claimant was referring to someone who was assisting her.  It is a congruent conflation of “jump through hoops” and “bend over backwards”, both meaning to do everything possible to please someone or accomplish something.  Bending over hoops is probably the ultimate in pleasing someone.  The mix up is caused, I think, by the action words bend and jump, and by the similar meanings of the phrases.  A shout out to Sam Edelmann who heard this one and passed it along.

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