The Chinese are spending multiple billions of dollars trying to own the technology of the future while we sit with our thumb in our ear

Posted: July 13, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden uttered this one in his speech last week in Dunmore, PA.  I believe this is a body part mashup of “close your ears (to something)” or “fingers in your ears” (ignore something) and “have (one’s) thumb up (one’s) ass” (not doing what you should be doing).   Not sure this one was on the teleprompter.  If not, perhaps Joe changed his mind mid- phrase when he was about to utter the word “ass”.   You can find the quote here:  https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/09/joe-biden-economic-plan-355416

A big thanks to Fred Martin and Beatrice Zablocki for both catching this one live and sending a quick email to me.  I have a feeling that the next few months will bring an abundance of malaphors.  Keep your eyes and ears peeled!

We stemmed that curve

Posted: July 10, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
This is another “curve” malaphor brought to you by Frank King.  His last one was “we turned the curve”, heard on the MSNBC show “All In with Chris Hayes.  https://malaphors.com/2020/07/01/we-turned-the-curve/
This one was also heard on the same show, this time from Harris County (Texas) Judge Lina Hidalgo.  It is a congruent conflation of  “stem the tide” and “flatten the curve”, both meaning to stop the course of a trend or tendency.  You can hear this one on the Monday night, July 6, 2020 show.  It does not seem that the malaphor curve will ever be stemmed.  Another tip of the hat to Frank King for hearing this one.
Please do not stem the curve of the rising sales of my latest malaphor book, “Things Are Not Rosy-Dory”: Malaphors From Politicians and Pundits.”  It’s available NOW on Amazon. Click this link to purchase:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C7GGMG5?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

She’s the last person on the totem pole

Posted: July 8, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment
The speaker was saying how his wife would be last to be called back to work because she’s a recent hire, and that “she’s the last person on the totem pole”.  This is a mashup of “low man on the totem pole” (person with the least amount of experience in a social or business setting) and “be the last (person) to (do something)” (very unlikely to do something).  Regarding the phrase, “low man on the totem pole”, there is an interesting explanation found in the Free Dictionary:
The humorist H. Allen Smith used this phrase as the title of a book (1941) after the radio comedian Fred Allen had used the term to describe him in an introduction to an earlier book.  The position on an actual totem pole bu the way, has no such signficiance.  Nevertheless, the term caught on quickly enough to become a cliche.
A big thanks to Sam Edelmann who overheard this one and passed it on.
Don’t be the last person on the totem pole to get my latest malaphor book, “Things Are Not Rosy-Dory:  Malaphors From Politicians and Pundits”.  It’s available now on Amazon in paperback or kindle.  Let me tell you, it’s a real page burner!  Here’s the link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C7GGMG5?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Introducing my new Malaphor book: “Things Are Not Rosy-Dory: Malaphors From Politicians and Pundits”

Posted: July 3, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment
Instead of a Friday malaphor, I am unabashedly promoting my new malaphor book, “Things Are Not Rosy-Dory: Malaphors from Politicians and Pundits”.  It is available on Amazon NOW for a cheap $8.99! Click on the link below.
Every bathroom library deserves this gem.  And what better way to celebrate America’s birthday than ordering this patriotic look at idiom mashups?  Even the cover is red, white, and blue!
Special thanks to Cheryl Rosato again for her fantastic illustrations that make the book so special. Also special thanks to Karen Michener MacDonald and Ron MacDonald from Step2branding.com for the terrific design of the book. And thanks to the many followers who contributed to the malaphors contained in this edition, and who are thanked at the end of the book.
You are all the top of the notch!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C7GGMG5?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Things kind of petered off

Posted: June 8, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This unfortunately comes from a sad passage in an article about Covid-19 deaths, but it’s a malaphor nonetheless. Here’s the sentence: “And then things kind of petered off a little bit in those areas, and now we’re kind of seeing it getting closer and wondering when we’re gonna have to deal with this. But again, we’re preparing for it as best as we can in the hospitals that I’m working for.” This is a congruent conflation of “petered out” and “tapered off”, both meaning to diminish gradually and then stop.   Here’s the link to the article: https://link.esquire.com/view/5976491c487ccd1f468b4eedc874i.3ql/6cadebe4

A special thanks to Barry Eigen for spotting this one, and for his wise counsel about not posting a descriptive picture of this malaphor.

 

It’s nerve curdling

Posted: May 4, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments
Rachel Maddow said this one on her show on April 30, referring to the Covid-19 outbreak in Nebraska.  It’s a mashup of “blood-curdling” (causing terror or horror) and “nerve-racking” (something stressful or anxiety-inducing).   I suppose nerves could curdle when alarmed or stressed out.   A big thanks to Frank King who heard this one and passed it on. @maddow
If you liked this Rachel malaphor, you will be happy to hear that I am about to publish my second malaphor book that has a whole section devoted to Maddow Malaphors.  The book is a compilation of malaphors from politicians and pundits.  It’s the top of the cake!  Be on the lookout on this website for the release date!

That tops the cake

Posted: April 29, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The contributor’s mom said this one.  It is a congruent conflation of “takes the cake”  and “tops them all”, both meaning to win or be the most outstanding in some respect.  My guess is that the speaker was also thinking of a cake topper.  A big thanks to Mike Kovacs for hearing this one from his Mom and sending it in.

I’m going to go with my first gut

Posted: April 10, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A 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 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Martin 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 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Helene 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.

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