Throwing our swag around

Posted: January 28, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This one comes from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday Jan 25, p A8.  Asked about how Trump is doing in Northeast PA, a  voter said:
“He’s done great militarily, throwing our swag around.”

This is a mashup of “throw (one’s) weight around” (to assert oneself in an authoritarian manner) and “swagger” (conduct oneself in an arrogant or pompous manner). It is almost a congruent conflation, as both idioms conjure an arrogant way of behaving. Interestingly, “swag” is promotional merchandise, and the speaker might have been thinking of that as well. A big thanks to Linda Bernstein who spotted this one and sent it in!

He needs to get his ass in the game

Posted: January 26, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

While watching Indiana basketball, I told my wife that I was unhappy with Tucker DeVries’ lackluster play. I then uttered this malaphor, which is a congruent conflation of “get (one’s) head in the game” and “get (one’s) ass in gear”, both meaning to get motivated or get moving. Of course we both immediately shouted “malaphor!”

He’s not pulling his slack

Posted: January 24, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

A friend said he was fired from a job for not being able to keep up with the work, and said, “they didn’t think I was pulling my slack”. This is a mashup of “pull one’s weight” (do one’s fair share of the work) and “slack off” (work less hard than usual). Or maybe he was just pulling his slack? A shout out to John Kooser for hearing this one and sending it in!

I’m an open door

Posted: January 16, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

At the conclusion of a presentation, the presenter said to “reach out to me after the call with any questions. I’m an open door.” This is a mashup of “I’m an open book” (a person easily understood) and “open door policy” (a decision by someone in authority to make themselves available at all times). This appears to be the sister malaphor to one I posted a few years ago, “I have an open ear policy”. https://malaphors.com/2016/05/23/i-have-an-open-ear-policy/

Kudos to Andy Jacobs for hearing this one and sending it in!

sent on a false goose chase

Posted: January 9, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A friend was accidentally given some incorrect information for something he was trying to look up. This caused him to waste time researching in the wrong direction. When he realized he had been given the wrong info, he commented that he was sent on a “false goose chase”. This is a mashup of “wild goose chase” (a hopeless pursuit of something unattainable) and I think, because of the failure to secure the correct information, “false start” (an unsuccessful attempt to begin something). “False flag” (a political or military act done in such a way to appear it was carried out by a party that was actually not responsible) and “false alarm” (unnecessary or unfounded warning) might also be in the mix. A big thank you to Verbatim for hearing this one and sending it in.

She’s a money digger

Posted: January 5, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

This one was said by my wife during the movie, “The Best Years of Our Lives”. She was commenting on Captain Fred Derry’s (Dana Andrews) wife, Marie (Virginia Mayo). We immediately cried out “malaphor!” This is a single word blend type, mixing “gold digger” (a person who forms a relationship with another to extract money) and “money grubber” (someone who obsessively accumulates and protects their money). Props to Elaine Hatfield for contributing this one!

Dropped the tea

Posted: December 29, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Aaron Smith Levin, ex-Scientologist, who runs the YouTube channel “Growing Up In Scientology”, was commenting on the comments of another ex-Scientologist. This is a congruent conflation of “dropped a bomb” and “spilled the tea”, both meaning to reveal something that is unknown and unexpected. Props to Verbatim for hearing this one and sending it in!

2025 Malaphor of the Year!!

Posted: December 28, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s that time again and I know everyone has been anticipating this moment. It is NOW time to reveal this year’s Malaphor of the Year.  But before I unveil this masterpiece, here are the winners of past years:

2015 – I have a pulse to the ground (submitted by Paula Garrety)

2016 – Let’s give them a round of hand! (submitted by Martin Pietrucha)

2017 – Welcome to my shoes (submitted by Steve Kovacs)

2018 – Whatever turns your boat (submitted by John Kooser)

2019 – My old car shit the bucket (submitted by John Fischer)

2020 – You’re a one-horse pony (submitted by Bruce Ryan and Ron MacDonald)

2021 – The new President says he wants to turn over a new page (submitted by Frank King)

2022 – Backseat Quarterback (submitted by Chuck Hatsis)

2023 – His cards of lies are about to crumble (submitted by Mike Kovacs)

2024 – She was giving me the cold finger (submitted by Jim Weil)

Before I reveal the winner, I want to give a shout out to the runners-up:

#5 A thorn in my butt (December 2025 – submitted by Donna Doblick). This is a perfect congruent conflation.

#4 They waved the white towel (September 2025 – submitted by Mike Browning). Another perfect congruent conflation of “waving the white flag” and “throwing in the towel”, and since this one was uttered by a sports reporter on a football game, with all those white towels tucked in uniforms, it is a particularly nice mashup.

#3 Gimme a joke! (January 2025 – submitted by Mike Kovacs and Daniel). This conflation of “gimme a break!” and “what a joke!” came from the lips of Senator Markwayne Mullen (R-OK) during the Hegseth confirmation hearing.

#2 He was never the sharpest bulb (June 2025 – submitted by Peter H, Karl Robins, and Buzz McClain). This mental mixup came from President Trump, when he was referring to his predecessor President Joe Biden. ‘Nuff said.

But the winner this year is He’s shooting from the seat of his pants, submitted by Steve Messinger (April 2025). This beauty, uttered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer when he was describing Trump’s reckless behavior, is a congruent conflation mixed with a ribald phrase and a visual that is hard to erase. 

Merry New Year everyone!

Introducing my new malaphor book, “Backseat Quarterback: Malaphors From the Sports World”

Posted: December 20, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Instead of a weekend malaphor, I am unabashedly promoting my new malaphor book, “Backseat Quarterback: Malaphors From the Sports World”. It is available on Amazon NOW for a cheap $10.99 (Kindle version 4.99)! If you have Prime, it can arrive before Christmas! Click on the cover picture below.

Every bathroom library deserves this gem.  And what better way to celebrate the Super Bowl than ordering this sports filled idiom mashup book?  Even the cover is Stillers black and yellow!

Special thanks to Cheryl Rosato again for her fantastic illustrations that make the book so special. Also special thanks to Karen Michener MacDonald and Ron MacDonald from Step2branding.com for the terrific design of the book. And thanks to the many followers who contributed to the malaphors contained in this edition, and who are thanked at the end of the book.

You are all the top of the notch!

Does that name ring a distant chord?

Posted: December 17, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Keith Olbermann, on his podcast, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, was talking about Vince Shlomi, also known as Vince Offer. He asked his audience if the name rang a distant chord. You can hear this at 37:04:

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/countdown-with-keith-olbermann/id1633301179?i=1000740161415

This is a mashup of “strikes a chord” (affects someone’s emotions) and “rings a bell” (sounds familiar). “Chord”, “bell”, and “ring” are all music related and hence the mixup. Props to Frank King for hearing this one and sending it in!

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