I’m going to go with my first gut
Posted: April 10, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: first impression, gut feeling, humor, idioms, malaphor, malaphors, mashup, words Leave a commentA college student was tired of over thinking multiple choice test questions and said this malaphor. It is a nice mashup of “first impression” (opinion formed on first meeting someone) and “gut feeling” (an instinct or intuition about something). Both expressions involve immediate reactions to something, and are visceral in nature. Of course, a tight belt forms a first and second gut as well. A big thanks to John Kooser who heard this one and passed it on.
Those are bitter grapes to swallow
Posted: March 19, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: a bitter pill to swallow, humor, idioms, malaphor, malaphors, sour grapes, words Leave a commentMartin Pietrucha, loyal malaphor follower, unintentionally uttered this one the other night while talking with his kids. It is a mashup of “sour grapes” (someone is angry or bitter because he has not gotten something that he wants) and “a bitter pill to swallow” (an unwanted situation that someone is forced to accept). “Sour” and “bitter” seem to be the culprits here, both are two of the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami). Also one swallows grapes as well as pills. A big thanks to Martin for sending this one in.
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.
You were out like a log
Posted: February 24, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, out like a light, slept like a log, words Leave a commentWhile I posted this one way back in 2012, it bears repeating as I think it is one of the purest congruent conflations out there, and a common one as well. The speaker was talking about her lack of sleep the previous night but that her husband slept soundly, describing him as being out like a log. This is a congruent conflation of “slept like a log” and “out like a light”, both referring to sound sleep. There are a lot of the letter L in both expressions, contributing to the mix up. A big thanks to Donna Calvert for sending this one in. Glad to hear Bill is sleeping well in retirement.
Congratulations Coach Reid! You finally got the hump off of your back
Posted: February 7, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Andy Reid, Brian Dawkins, expressions, humor, Kansas City Chiefs, malaphor, malaphors, monky off your back, over the hump, words, Young Frankenstein 2 CommentsThis malaphor was tweeted by former NFL player Brian Dawkins (safety for the Philadelphia Eagles):
@BrianDawkins
CONGRATULATIONS COACH REID!! You finally got the hump off of your back. You have been a blessing to so many of us as a Coach yes, but also as a man. You’ve learned & given so much to so many… You Earned it!! LOVE YOU!!! #BigRed #SuperBowlChampion
I have a job underneath the books
Posted: February 4, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, off the books, under the table, words Leave a commentThis was heard at an administrative hearing. The speaker was talking about work that he was currently performing. It is a congruent conflation of “off the books” and “under the table”, both meaning to do something in secret so that taxes won’t be paid. Then again, maybe the speaker works in the basement of a library. A follow up question hopefully was made. A big thanks to John Costello for hearing this one.
If you liked this one, check out my book on malaphors, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available underneath on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652205
How many cracks at the apple is this guy going to get?
Posted: February 3, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cracks at the bat, expressions, humor, idioms, malaphor, malaphors, second bite at the apple, words Leave a commentThis one was overheard in a conversation between a lawyer and the judge in a court proceeding. This is a nice congruent conflation of “a second bite of the apple” and “cracks at the bat”, both meaning additional opportunities. “Take a crack at (something)” (an attempt) is probably also in the mix. Perhaps the speaker was thinking of William Tell or maybe a pinata party. Kudos to Matin Pietrucha who heard this one and sent it in.
A little bit of a tightrope that the Democrats have to run
Posted: February 1, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Frank Thorp V, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, MSNBC, run the gauntlet, Trump, walk a tightrope, words Leave a comment
We’ve never sought to depose every witness under the face of the sun
Posted: January 31, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Adam Schiff, everything under the sun, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, on the face of the earth, Trump, words Leave a commentAdam Schiff, House Manager in the Trump Impeachment Trial, uttered this in response to the President’s counsel’s comment that witnesses would be endless and that the trial could drag on until the next election. Here is the context and the quote:
Taking up additional witnesses “could be done very quickly, effectively, we’ve never sought to depose every witness under the face of the sun,” Schiff later added, noting that a select four witnesses have been specified by House managers as “particularly appropriate and relevant” to their case.
This is a terrific congruent conflation of ” everything under the sun” and “on the face of the earth”, both meaning all things in existence, or everything one can reasonably imagine. The speaker apparently was thinking of the earth and the sun at the same time. A big thanks to Bruce Ryan for hearing this one and sending it in. Bruce has the ears of a hawk.
He was taken to the carpet
Posted: January 27, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: called on the carpet, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, Meet the Press, Mike Braun, taken to the cleaners, Trump, words Leave a commentSenator Mike Braun, Republican from Indiana, uttered this one on Meet the Press yesterday. He was talking about Trump and the effect impeachment will have on him. It is a mashup of “called on the carpet” (to reprimand someone) and “taken to the cleaners” (to swindle someone or to soundly defeat someone). My guess is that the Senator was thinking of carpet cleaning. He also may have been thinking of the idiom “taken to the mat”(to confront or argue with someone), given mats and carpets are both floor coverings. A big thanks to Elaine Hatfield and Mike Kovacs who heard this one and sent it in.
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