He pulls those hat tricks out of the bag
Posted: July 10, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bag of tricks, Carson Wentz, expressions, hat trick, humor, Lane Johnson, language, malaphor, malaphors, Philadelphia Eagles, pull a rabbit out the hat, words 2 Comments
Parents should stick to their ground involving kids’ names
Posted: July 6, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, hold your ground, humor, idioms, language, malaphor, stick to your guns, words 2 CommentsI guess that means names like Sandy and Muddy? This was spotted on Quora, an internet platform to ask questions and get answers. It is a great congruent conflation of “stick to your guns” and “hold/stand your ground”, both meaning to refuse to yield or compromise. “Ground” and “guns” both start with a G and have a similar sound, hence the mental mix up. A big thanks to Margaret Grover who spotted this one and sent it in!
Civility is disappearing before our hands
Posted: July 5, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chris Jansing, disappear before our eyes, expressions, humor, malaphor, MSNBC, slipping through our fingers, Trump, words 1 CommentThis was heard on MSNBC, Jansing and Co. show. There was a discussion on civility in America and this malaphor was uttered. It is a mashup of “disappear before out eyes” (suddenly no longer visible) and I think “out of (someone’s) hands” (no longer in someone’s control). “Slip through (someone’s) fingers” might be in play, as it also refers to something missed or escaped. Fingers and hands are close in proximity. A big thanks to “Eagle-eared” Frank King!
The ball’s in your hand now
Posted: July 4, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: congruent conflation, expressions, humor, in our hands, malaphor, the ball's in your court, words Leave a commentSeen on Facebook. This is a congruent conflation of “the ball’s in your court” and “in your hands”, both meaning under one’s control or in possession. Certainly you catch a ball with your hands so the mind sees “ball” and attaches that word to “hand”. in all likelihood. “Out of our hands” may also be in the mix, although the meaning is the complete opposite to what the writer was trying to convey. Incongruent conflation perhaps? A big thanks to Katie Norwood for spotting this one.
Tarred with the same feather
Posted: July 1, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: humor, language, malaphor, tarred and feathered, tarred with the same brush, wordplay, words Leave a commentThis is a super mashup of “tarred and feathered” (to excoriate or criticize someone in a humiliating and public manner) and “tarred (painted) with the same brush” (unfairly judge or categorize as being the same as someone, usually in a negative manner). Both idioms refer to a negative action against another. They also both have the word “tar” in them, which is probably the cause of the mental hiccup. Also, brushes can be composed of hairs, which may have led the mind back to the word “feather”. A big thanks to Michael Boyette for hearing this one and sending it to my Facebook page, Malaphors.
He was drunk out of his ass
Posted: June 28, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: drunk off his ass, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, out of his mind, words Leave a commentI love this one. This was overheard outside a bar. It is a mashup of “drunk off his ass” (very intoxicated) and “out of his mind” (crazy). Crazy drunk? Upside down? A big thanks to Anthony Kovacs for hearing this one and sending it in!
I need to catch my bearings
Posted: June 25, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: catch my breath, expressions, get my bearings, humor, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentA person was getting overwhelmed trying to do too many things at once. He then blurted out that “I need to stop and catch my bearings.” This is a mashup of “get my bearings” (figure out one’s position relative to one’s surroundings) and “catch my breath” (relax, take a break). “Bearings” and “breath” start with a “b”, causing the malaphor. Also, both phrases indicate someone pausing before proceeding. A big thanks to John Kooser for hearing this one and passing it on.
If you enjoyed deconstructing this mixup you will love my book on malaphors, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon. Catch your bearings and then head to your computer to order it for a cheap 6.99.
Will it pay fruit?
Posted: June 23, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bear fruit, Chris Matthews, expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, pay dividends, pay off, Trump, words Leave a comment“The Master of Malaphors” Chris Matthews said this beauty on his show on June 13, talking about Cohen possibly flipping on Trump. It is a congruent conflation of “pay off”, “pay dividends”, and “bear fruit”, all meaning to yield positive benefits or results. Let the flipping begin, and see the many bananas and apples appear.
By the way, loyal followers might cry foul on this one as I posted this malaphor last November. https://malaphors.com/2017/11/22/our-hard-work-is-finally-starting-to-pay-fruit/ True, but when “The Master” speaks, I must post. A big thanks to “Hawkear” Frank King for hearing this one.
I think we can tighten our pencil a bit
Posted: June 22, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: crunch the numbers, humor, malaphor, sharpen the pencil, tighten up, words 1 CommentAn architect was discussing changing pricing during negotiations and uttered this malaphor. I believe it is a combination of “sharpen our pencil” (give a good deal) and “tighten up” (to become more restrictive or miserly). “Crunch the numbers” (doing calculations) might also be in the mix, although it doesn’t fit within the context. Yvonne Shipley suggests “tighten our belts” might also have been on the speaker’s mind. I think that is very possible. A shout out to Jim Washabaugh for hearing this one and passing it on!
Shudder in its tracks
Posted: June 20, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Ars Technica, expressions, freeze in its tracks, humor, malaphor, malaphors, shudder to think, stop dead in its tracks, words Leave a commentThis was found in the Ars Technica website, a site covering news and opinions in technology, science, and politics. Here is the full quote:
“That ruthlessly efficient system helped bubonic plague kill nearly 25 million people and made the ancient world shudder in its tracks during the Justinian plague of 541–542.” https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/06/4000-year-old-genomes-point-to-origins-of-bubonic-plague/
It is a conflation of “shudder to think” (afraid to think about something as it may be unpleasant) and “stop/freeze/halt (someone or something)(dead) in its tracks” (suddenly stop because something has frightened or surprised you). Considering the context, the author might have been thinking about death and the word “dead” may have been floating around in the head, spewing out “in its tracks”. A big thanks to Barry Eigen for spotting this one. Barry said the malaphor also reminded him of the expression “shaking (shivering) in their boots”. Me too!
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