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!
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
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.
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/.
That’s skating very close to the wind
Posted: March 17, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dr. Zeke Emanuel, humor, language, malaphor, sailing close to the wind, skating on thin ice, words Leave a comment
All the stacks are in his favor
Posted: March 16, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, Helene Cooper, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, the deck is stacked against him, the odds are in his favor, words Leave a commentHelene Cooper, reporter for the New York Times, speaking about Joe Biden, uttered this nice one on Meet the Press. It’s an incongruent conflation of “the odds are in (someone’s) favor” (someone is likely to win) and “the deck (or cards) is stacked against (someone)” Ms. Cooper is a regular on this site, having uttered more than a few malaphors. A big thanks to Robert J. Smith for hearing this one and passing it on.
Kind of a tough nut to tease out
Posted: March 13, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, tease out, tough nut to crack, words Leave a commentThis was overheard in a work conversation. It is a mashup of “a tough nut to crack” (a problem that is challenging to solve) and “tease out (something)” (to unravel or separate out something). The two idioms fused together indicate something that is hard to solve. A big thanks to Amanda Zsuzsics for hearing this one and sending it in to my facebook page, Malaphors.
They are high on our radar
Posted: March 11, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, high on the list, humor, language, malaphor, on the radar, under the radar, words Leave a commentA national hockey writer was talking about the Pittsburgh Penguins’ chances of winning the Stanley Cup this year, and he mentioned that the Pens are always “high on our radar”. This is a congruent conflation of “on the radar” and “high on the list” (something important or noteworthy). “Under the radar” (undetected) is an idiom and may have contributed to the mashup (under vs. high). A big thanks to John Kooser for hearing this one and sending it in.
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