Equal playing field
Posted: August 26, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: equal footing, expressions, humor, level playing field, malaphor, words Leave a comment
They’re going to leave it all on the table; they’re going to put it all on the court.
Posted: August 24, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, leave it all on the court, leave nothing on the table, malaphor, malaphors, put it all on the line, Van Jones, words Leave a commentThis is a rare double malaphor spoken by Van Jones on the Anderson Cooper show 360 degrees. Here is the excerpt from the CNN transcript:
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean, I think they’re going to leave it all on the table. They’re going to put it all on the court. Look, I think if you are Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, to sit here — I mean, if you think we feel heartbroken, terrified and just, you know, miserable about what’s going on, imagine how they feel.
The first malaphor, “leave it all on the table”, is a congruent conflation of “leave it all on the field” and “leave nothing on the table”, both meaning to give something 100% or everything you have. The second, “put it all on the court”, is a mashup of “leave it all on the court” (give something 100%) and put it all on the line” (risk everything for something). Mixing sports idioms with politics is a risky business, and Mr. Jones realized he had uttered a malaphor, but his quick attempt made him step into malaphor doo doo once more. This unicorn was spotted by Bruce Ryan, and for that he is now elevated into the Malaphor Hall of Fame. @VanJones68
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The little voice on my shoulder
Posted: August 22, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: angel on my shoulder, humor, language, malaphor, paranormal emergency, voices in my head Leave a commentThis one was spoken on the show Paranormal Emergency (Season 1, Episode 9). Here is the clip:
This is a congruent conflation of “little voice in my head” and “angel on my shoulder”, both describing one’s conscience. A shout out to Mike Kovacs who heard this one and shared it.
Broaden the tent
Posted: August 18, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: broaden the base, humor, language, make a bigger tent, malaphor, Scaramucci, words Leave a commentThis subtle mixup was uttered on Steve Hilton’s show on Fox by The Mooch, Anthony Scaramucci, when discussing the current demographic base of the Republican Party. https://www.foxnews.com/us/hilton-scaramucci-clash-over-presidential-politics-best-candidate
It is a congruent conflation of “broaden the base” and “make a bigger tent”, both meaning a group or movement that encompasses the broadest and most diverse members possible. A big thanks to Frank King who sent this one in.
I played him like a fine-tooth piano
Posted: August 17, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, go over it with a fine-tooth comb, humor, malaphor, played him like a fiddle, player piano, words Leave a commentThis was heard on one of those cop shows on Court TV. A woman who was helping set up a perpetrator uttered this one. It is a mashup of “play (someone) like a fiddle” (easily mainpulate someone for one’s own needs) and “go over (something) with a fine-tooth comb” (scrutinize something). The piano reference might be an eggcorn of ‘fine-tooth” for “fine-tuned”. A “player piano” (mechanical piano) might also have been on the speaker’s mind. A big thanks to Gary Kelly who heard this one and passed it on!
I know where the skeletons are buried
Posted: August 14, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Disloyal, expressions, humor, know where all the bodies are buried, language, malaphor, malaphors, Michael Cohen, skeletons in the closet, Trump, words Leave a commentThis perfectly formed malaphor is found in the foreward to Michael Cohen’s soon to be released tell all book, “Disloyal”. Here is the context:
“Trump has no true friends. He has lived his entire life avoiding and evading taking responsibility for his actions. He crushed or cheated all who stood in his way, but I know where the skeletons are buried because I was the one who buried them.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/michael-cohen-trump-disloyal-skeletons
This is a conflation of “know where (all) the bodies are buried” (to know secret or scandalous information about a person or group) and “have skeletons in (one’s) the closet” (to have damaging or incriminating secrets from one’s past). Both idioms involve secrets and damaging information, and both involve dead bodies, hence the mixup. This mashup is actually brilliant in that it incorporates damaging information and where to get the damaging information all in one terrific malaphor.
A big thanks to Mike Kovacs, Chief Malaphor Hunter, for spotting this one in plain sight. Bravo.
$600 a week for Mitch McConnell is not a red line in the sand
Posted: August 10, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: humor, Kasie Hunt, language, line in the sand, malaphor, red line, words Leave a commentThis nice congruent conflation of “red line” and “line in the sand”, both meaning the furthest limit of what will be tolerated, was uttered by Kasie Hunt on MSNBC last week (Craig Melvin hosting). “Line” appears in both idioms, which is probably the root of the confusion. Ms. Hunt is probably too young to remember the song, “Red Sails in the Sunset”, so it probably does not enter the mix. A big thanks to Frank King for hearing this one and sending it in.
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It’s like throwing a wrench in a china shop
Posted: August 7, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bull in a china shop, humor, language, malaphor, throw a monkey wrench in the works, words 1 CommentThis one was heard on a podcast discussing the volatile nature of today’s political environment. It is a conflation of “throw a (monkey) wrench in(to) the works” (to disrupt or cause problems) and “like a bull in a china shop” (to be aggressive or clumsy in a situation that requires care and delicacy). As the submitter says, both phrases cause chaos. Certainly throwing a wrench in a china shop will cause damage much like that of a bull. A tip of the hat to Verbatim for hearing this one and sharing it.
Did you enjoy this malaphor? If so, check out my new book, “Things Are Not Rosy-Dory: Malaphors From Politicians and Pundits, available on Amazon today! Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C7GGMG5?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
I don’t have any horse in the game
Posted: August 6, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dr. Fauci, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, no horse in this race, no skin in the game, words Leave a commentWas Dr. Fauci thinking of the America song, “Horse with No Name?” I don’t know, but this was uttered by Dr. Fauci at a Congressional hearing held this week. It is a perfectly formed congruent conflation of “no skin in the game” and “no horse in this race”, both expressions meaning when one is not invested in the outcome. A race is a game so this seems to be the reason for the mixup. Also, horseshoes is a game so that might have been on the speaker’s mind. But I would like to think he had an America ear worm that day and could not get the song out of his head. A big, big thanks to Steve Grieme, Yvonne Stam, and Rozsa Harris for all hearing this one and sending it in within hours of each other. A malaphor tidal wave.
Skip to the chase
Posted: August 3, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cut to the chase, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, skip it, words Leave a commentThis one comes courtesy of the classic movie, “Best in Show”. The Jane Lynch character is talking about how her poodle will easily win and that the Judges should just “skip to the chase” and give her the trophy. This is a mashup of “skip it” (ignore the matter) and “cut to the chase” (get to the point; get on with it). As the Christopher Guest mockumentaries were largely ad-libbed, my guess is that this malaphor was not intentionally written. A big thanks to John Kooser who heard this one and sent it in.
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