I think Sheila hit the head
Posted: August 21, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, hit the mark, hit the nail on the head, humor, malaphor, malaphors, Marketplace, Nela Richardson, Redfin, words 1 CommentNela Richardson, Ph.D, chief economist for Redfin, speaking on the podcast Marketplace, was referring to a point made by her colleague on the correlation on the lack of wage growth and persistent complaints by some employers that they’re unable to fill open positions. This is a nice congruent conflation of “hit the mark” and “hit the nail on the head”, both meaning to be accurate or correct. As the submitter points out, “hit the head” is a also a naval expression for going to the bathroom. Having grown up on Naval bases, I used and still use that expression often. Not sure Dr. Robinson had the same experience, but if so, it could be the reason for her mashup. A tip of the hat to Mike Kovacs for hearing this one!
Crazy as a three dollar bill
Posted: August 19, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chuck Todd, crazy as a loon, expressions, humor, J.C. Watts, language, malaphor, malaphors, MSNBC, phony as a three dollar bill, Trump, words Leave a commentThis one was uttered by J.C. Watts on the MTP (Meet the Press) Daily show on MSNBC. It is a nice mash up of “crazy as a loon” (insane) and “phony (or queer) as a three dollar bill” (bogus). http://www.zajilspeed.com/2017/08/african-american-republicans-tried-to.html
I suppose a three dollar bill is pretty crazy, but those loons definitely are the craziest. Of course, pileated woodpeckers sound daffy as well. A big thanks to Chief Malaphor Hunter (CMH) Mike Kovacs for hearing this one and immediately recording it.
Trump has been under a lot of heat
Posted: August 13, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, feeling the heat, humor, Joy Reid, malaphor, malaphors, Trump, under a lot of stress, words Leave a commentThis timely malaphor was uttered by Joy Reid on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show. She was talking about Trump’s remarks about police not being so careful when loading suspects into the Paddy Wagon. It is a congruent conflation of “under a lot of stress” and “feeling the heat”, both meaning feeling pressure. A big thanks to the comedian Frank King for hearing this one!
We’re starting from scratch one
Posted: August 12, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: back to square one, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, spreading activation, starting from scratch, words Leave a commentThis was uttered while making a second attempt at lugging a couch down a set of stairs. It’s a congruent conflation of “back to square one” and “starting from scratch” both meaning a starting place or at the beginning. These phrases seem to be a continual source of confusion. For example, I’ve posted “back to square zero” https://malaphors.com/2017/03/24/were-back-to-square-zero/ and “starting from ground one” https://malaphors.com/2012/11/07/starting-from-ground-one/. Both confuse the many phrases that describe a new beginning or starting over. While a square is certainly not a zero, the mind might be mixing them. One and zero are both numbers, and scratch and square are both similar in sound. A tip of the hat to John Kooser for muttering this one and passing it on!
It fell through the loops
Posted: August 10, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, fell through the cracks, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, threw him for a loop, words 3 CommentsThis was uttered at a meeting. It is a mash up of “fell through the cracks” (to be not noticed or dealt with) and “throw somebody for a loop” (to upset someone unexpectedly). The reason I think the latter is involved is the speaker might have thought “threw” when he uttered the homonym “through”, thus completing the phrase with “loops” instead of “cracks”. The mind does play tricks like that sometimes. However, an even better mix was suggested by Robyn Bottoni – “loophole”. This actually makes more sense as loophole and falling through the cracks have similar meanings, hence a congruent conflation. I would be interested in others’ thoughts on the mix up. A big thanks to Elaine Hatfield for hearing this one!
You can catch more flies with honey than a stick
Posted: August 9, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: carrot and stick, catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentThese are certainly words to live by, I guess. This is a mash up of “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” (it is easier to get what you want by flattery or being polite than by being demanding) and I think “carrot and stick (approach)” (rewards and punishments that influence someone’s behavior). The carrots and honey both represent something that is pleasing or rewarding to them, hence the confusion. Also, not sure many people know or say “with vinegar” in the proverb “catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”, so the stick was the substitute in this case. A big thanks to Joseph Newcomer for hearing this one and sending it in.
McCain beats to his own drum
Posted: August 7, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, he is his own man, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, marches to the beat of his own drum, MSNBC, Robert Traynham, words 2 Comments
He’s open game
Posted: August 5, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 93.7 the Fan, expressions, fair game, humor, Josh Miller, language, malaphor, malaphors, open season, words Leave a commentThis perfectly formed malaphor was uttered by Josh Miller on the radio show The Fan on 93.7 in Pittsburgh (Miller was a former punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is now a sports commentator). Miller was discussing the crazy antics of a fan at a baseball game and the nasty comments directed at him. “Open game” is a mashup of “open season” (a period of time when everyone is criticizing someone or something) and “fair game” (something or someone who is considered permissible to attack). The speaker may have had deer season on his mind, thinking of open season on game? A big shout out to John Kooser who heard this one and sent it in!
It’s all water in the bucket
Posted: August 3, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: drop in the bucket, expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, water under the bridge, words Leave a commentThis was heard at a meeting. When the speaker was asked what he meant by that phrase, he said it was similar to the idea conveyed by the phrase “Every penny adds up””. However, it appears to be a malaphor, mixing “water under the bridge” (a prior issue that is now resolved) and “It’s a drop in the bucket” (a very small or unimportant amount). A tip of the hat to Raffi Tashjian for hearing this one and sending it in.
Not the sharpest bulb in the shed
Posted: August 3, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, not the brightest light bulb in the pack, not the sharpest tool in the shed, words 4 CommentsIn our continuing series of confused phrases describing not so intelligent people, Darleen DiGirolamo brings us this one from the website Lucid Nation. It’s a mash up of “not the sharpest tool in the shed” and “not the brightest bulb in the pack (or chandelier)”, both describing a slow-witted or dull person. There are lots of descriptions of slow-witted folk, and so they are bound to get mixed up in true malaphor fashion. Here are a few examples previously posted on this site:
“He wasn’t the brightest bulb in the basket”
“He’s not the sharpest light bulb in the pack”
You’re not the brightest toolbox in the shed”
“not the brightest tool in the shed”
A big thanks to Darleen DiGirolamo for spotting this one! @lucidnation
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