I’m going to hang low at home today
Posted: August 26, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, feeling low, hang out, humor, language, lay low, malaphors, words Leave a commentThe speaker was not feeling well and uttered this nice mixup. It is a conflation of “hang out” (to engage in some some frivolous time wasting) and “lay low” (to be hidden or inconspicuous). “Feeling low” (feeling ill or sad) is probably also in the mix, considering the context. A big thanks to David Barnes for hearing this one and passing it on.
It’s not number one on the burner
Posted: August 21, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, not number one on the list, not on the front burner, Trump, words Leave a commentThe Malaphorer in Chief, Donald Trump, uttered this beauty when he was discussing his idea to purchase Greenland. “It’s not number one on the burner, I can tell you that.” This is a congruent conflation of “not number one on the list” and “not on the front burner”, both meaning not a high priority. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kudlow-says-white-house-is-looking-at-trying-to-buy-greenland/2019/08/18/ab367b6c-c1bb-11e9-b5e4-54aa56d5b7ce_story.html.
This one was heard by several loyal malaphor followers, including Barry Eigen, Donna Calvert, and Frank King. This Trump malaphor is not the first. Check my book out, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors” (available on Amazon) for more mashups from him. There are also many more on this blog. Search “Trump”.
They put me through hoops and ladders
Posted: August 19, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chutes and Ladders, expressions, humor, jump through hoops, language, malaphors, put me through the ringer, words Leave a comment
He’s walking on thin water
Posted: August 14, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: deep water, expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, walk on water, walking on thin ice, words 1 CommentThe speaker was talking about someone who needed to be careful. This is a mashup of “walking on thin ice” (to proceed with caution or great care) and I think “in deep water” (an overwheming situation) because of the context. However, “walk on water” (do something extraordinary or impossible) certainly should not be ruled out, as it is scrambled in the malaphor. A shout out to David Stephens who heard this one. David said that he recently slipped on a wet floor and broke his toe so this malaphor really resonated with him.
Did you like this malaphor? Catch ’em all in my book, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon for a cheap 7.99 It’s a perfect addition to your bathroom library.
Paul Ryan shamelessly ran cover for Trump
Posted: July 12, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Eric Lutzro co, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, provide cover, run for cover, run interference, Trump, Vanity Fair, words 1 CommentThis appears in the very first line of Eric Lutz’s piece in Vanity Fair on Paul Ryan’s interview with Politico’s Tim Alberta. It is a congruent conflation of “run interference” and “provide cover” (take an action to avoid problems, on behalf of another individual). “Run for cover” might also have been in the writer’s mind, located in the “freudian slip” area. A big thanks to Frank King who spotted this one!
You need to pull the cord
Posted: June 18, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cut the cord, expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, pull the plug, words 2 CommentsI unintentionally blurted this one out to someone who was thinking of getting rid of his cable service. It is a mash up of “pull the plug” (to force something to end) and “cut the cord” (discontinue cable service). Both expressions involve discontinuing something, hence the mix up. This one also comes free with a public service message: always pull the plug, not the cord! Now do you see how useful and helpful this website is?
Baseball trades are like flipping the dice
Posted: June 10, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 93.7 the Fan, congruent conflation, expressions, flipping a coin, malaphor, malaphors, Pirates, rolling the dice, words Leave a commentThis is a perfect malaphor, compliments from the sports world. Jack Zduriencik uttered this one on the Pittsburgh Pirates pre-game show on 93.7 The Fan. It is a congruent conflation of “flipping a coin” and “rolling the dice”, both meaning to rely on chance or purely at random. Coins and dice are both used in games of chance, such as craps. Of course if you flip the dice in a craps game, chances are you’ll be ejected. A big thanks to John Kooser for hearing this gem.
Pelosi has all these Chairs on a tight rope
Posted: June 8, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Daily Kos, expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, Nancy Pelosi, on a tight leash, walking a tightrope, words Leave a commentThis one was found on the website The Daily Kos. The writer was discussing how Nancy Pelosi controls the various House Subcommittees. This is a nice blend of “walking a tightrope” (to do something with extreme care and precision) and “on a tight leash” (under someone’s strict control). Both phrases have the word “tight” in them and “ropes” and “leashes” are similar items. Also, both phrases entail exactness and control. Here is the link to the malaphor: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/6/5/1862845/-NY-Offers-Chairman-Neal-Trump-s-Tax-Returns-Neal-Says-No-Thanks-Unbelievable
A tip of the hat to Barry Eigen who spotted this hidden creature in the word forest.
I was surprised he fell south so fast
Posted: May 31, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 93.7 the Fan, expressions, fall apart, go south, humor, malaphors, Ron Cook, words Leave a commentAnother from sports talk radio. A sports columnist, Ron Cook, was commenting on Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove’s recent poor outings and did not expect them after his excellent start of the season. It is a congruent conflation of “fall apart” and “go south”, both meaning to depreciate or drop in value. If you fall south then does that mean you rise north? A big thanks to John Kooser who heard this one and passed it on.
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