One day you might be on the other side of the stick

Posted: August 2, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bob Phillips, state director of the advocacy group Common Cause, uttered this one to The Guardian.  Here is the full quote to give you context:

“Unfortunately, the Democrats, some of them will say, ‘We can’t wait to win in 2020, take it back and gerrymander the hell out of them’,” said Phillips. “Now, that’s not what I want, but it’s out there, and it’s playing in the minds of the majority party. If you are the majority party and you don’t do reform, one day you might be on the other side of the stick.”: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/27/us-supreme-court-2020-election-gerrymandering.

This is a mashup of “other side of the coin” (opposite aspect of something) and “short end of the stick” (unequal outcome of a deal that results in a disadvantage).  Ends and sides must be the reason for this mental scramble.  A big thanks to Barry Eigen for spotting this one.

You won’t get the other side of the stick if you buy the book of books on malaphors, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon today!  https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652205

They’re not holding any punches

Posted: July 29, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ayman Mohyeldin on MSNBC uttered this one when he was talking about Trey Gowdy and Republicans criticizing Democrats and Mueller’s testimony.  It is a congruent conflation of “not holding back” and “not pulling any punches”, both meaning to act without restraint or limitations.  The congruent conflation to me is the purest form of a malaphor.  The speaker is thinking of the correct idiom but there are other idioms that mean the same thing swirling in the brain.  A big thanks to Frank King for hearing this subtle but classic malaphor. @AymanM

I’m always spinning my tail

Posted: July 26, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The speaker was lamenting about his unproductive efforts.  This is a classic congruent conflation of “spinning my wheels” and “chasing my tail”, both meaning to take action that is ineffectual or does not lead to progress.  The speaker may have had an image of a cat or dog spinning around trying to catch his tail.  A tip of the hat to Steve Grieme who heard this one uttered by a friend and passed it on.

It’s slow sledding

Posted: July 19, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The speaker was discussing a contract that was particularly difficult to draft.  It is a nice mashup of “rough (or tough) sledding” (difficult or turbulent period of time or undertaking) and “slow going” (a state of slow or arduous process).  Both idioms refer to a difficult process that is slow, tedious, and difficult.  The speaker also might have been thinking “snow sledding”, given the unusually hot temperatures right now.  A big thanks to Donna Doblick who confessed that she was indeed the speaker and for sharing this one.  It happens to us all, Donna.

He put his lead foot in his mouth

Posted: July 15, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The speaker was discussing Biden’s recent bragging about working with segregationists and uttered this malaphor. It is a mashup of “to put (one’s) foot in “one’s” mouth” (unintentionally say something foolish) and “have a lead foot” (tend to speed when driving).  “Go over like a lead balloon” (utter failure) might also be in the mix, as it seems to fit in context.  This one reminds me of the famous malaphor uttered by Ann Richards at the 1988 Democratic Convention, when she referred to George H.W. Bush as someone who “was born with a silver foot in his mouth”.  Check that one out in my website at https://malaphors.com/politics/.  A big thanks to John Kooser for uttering this one and unabashedly submitting it!

We were cocked and loaded to retaliate

Posted: July 10, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This beauty comes from a Trump tweet.  Concerning a possible military strike against Iran, Trump tweeted, “We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die.”  This is a mashup of “locked and loaded” (a command to prepare for battle) and “to go off half-cocked” (to take a premature or ill-considered action).  Many news sites picked up on the malaphor, including Reuters, calling it a malaprop.  https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-malaprop/trumps-half-cocked-and-loaded-tweet-draws-barrage-of-reaction-idUSKCN1TM2I0

We of course know it is not a malaprop (improper use of a word) but rather a malaphor (unintentional blend of two or more idioms).  A few loyal followers, including Ron MacDonald and Frank King, spotted this one.  Thanks Ron and Frank!

You need to pull the cord

Posted: June 18, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I unintentionally blurted this one out to someone who was thinking of getting rid of his cable service.  It is a mash up of “pull the plug” (to force something to end) and “cut the cord” (discontinue cable service).  Both expressions involve discontinuing something, hence the mix up.  This one also comes free with a public service message:  always pull the plug, not the cord!  Now do you see how useful and helpful this website is?

 

Joe Biden needs to get out and shake the flesh

Posted: June 17, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This one conjures up a scary/humorous image.  Former House Rep Joe Crowley (D-NY) (who was unseated by AOC) said this beaut on MSNBC today.  He was asked if he had any advice for the Biden campaign and this was his answer.  It is a congruent conflation of “press the flesh” and “shake hands and kiss babies”, both meaning to go out and meet as many people as possible.  Mike Kovacs, Chief Operating Officer for Malaphor Central, heard this one and sent it in immediately.  Mike noted that there are several cheap jokes embedded in this malaphor.  Crowley lost to AOC, who as many will remember shook the flesh in a great dance video.  Also, Mike queried whether Biden at his age could shake the flesh considering the loss of elasticity, but I believe that actually works to Joe’s advantage.

Baseball trades are like flipping the dice

Posted: June 10, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This is a perfect malaphor, compliments from the sports world.  Jack Zduriencik uttered this one on the Pittsburgh Pirates pre-game show on 93.7 The Fan.  It is a congruent conflation of “flipping a coin” and “rolling the dice”, both meaning to rely on chance or purely at random.  Coins and dice are both used in games of chance, such as craps.  Of course if you flip the dice in a craps game, chances are you’ll be ejected.  A big thanks to John Kooser for hearing this gem.

Pelosi has all these Chairs on a tight rope

Posted: June 8, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This one was found on the website The Daily Kos.  The writer was discussing how Nancy Pelosi controls the various House Subcommittees.  This is a nice blend of “walking a tightrope” (to do something with extreme care and precision) and “on a tight leash” (under someone’s strict control).  Both phrases have the word “tight” in them and “ropes” and “leashes” are similar items.  Also, both phrases entail exactness and control.  Here is the link to the malaphor:  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/6/5/1862845/-NY-Offers-Chairman-Neal-Trump-s-Tax-Returns-Neal-Says-No-Thanks-Unbelievable

A tip of the hat to Barry Eigen who spotted this hidden creature in the word forest.

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