He pulled some strings out of his hat
Posted: July 22, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, pulled a rabbit out of his hat, pulled some strings, words Leave a commentA co-worker blurted this one. It’s a nice mash up of “pulled some strings” (to use influence from someone to get something done) and “pulled a rabbit out of a hat” (to do something surprising). “Pull” is the operative word here. Also, perhaps the speaker was thinking of magicians with invisible strings for their tricks? A big thanks to Taylor Rose George for hearing this one and passing it on!
The hair was standing on our backs
Posted: July 21, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 99 percent invisible, expressions, getting your back up, hair standing on end, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, NPR, words Leave a comment
His back is on the ropes
Posted: July 19, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: back against the wall, Brian Johnson, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, on the ropes, San Francisco Giants, words Leave a comment
All hands off
Posted: July 18, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: all bets are off, expressions, hands down, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentThis is a nice mixture of “all bets are off” (referring to an agreement that is no longer valid) and “hands down” (easily or unquestionably). A big thanks to Aryelle Young for unintentionally blurting this one out!
I may be speaking out of tongue, but….
Posted: July 5, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, speak with forked tongue, speaking in tongues, speaking out of turn, words Leave a commentThe submitter’s co-worker uttered this beauty. It is a mashup of “speaking out of turn” (to say something unwise or imprudent, or saying something at the wrong time), and “speaking with a forked tongue” (telling lies or to try to deceive someone). “Speaking in tongues” (a person is speaking in a language unknown to him) might also be in play here, but I do not know the speaker’s religious background. The speaker might have been thinking about sticking out his/her tongues as well. In any event, kudos to Phillip who heard this one and sent it in!
They’re walking on pins and needles
Posted: July 3, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, Jared Kushner, language, malaphor, malaphors, on pins and needles, Robert Costa, Trump, walking on eggshells, words Leave a commentThis nice malaphor was uttered by Robert Costa, national political reporter for the Washington Post and host of PBS’ “Washington Week in Review”. He made this comment when describing White House staffers’ relationships with Jared Kushner. It is a mash up of “walking on eggshells” (to be very diplomatic and inoffensive) and “on pins and needles” (to be anxious or in suspense). This mixed idiom reminds me of those folks walking on nails or hot coals. Perhaps that’s the feeling if you work at the White House. It also reminds me of one of “The Master”s best efforts, describing a group of anxious federal employees: “they’re sitting on their hands and needles”. https://malaphors.com/2012/08/27/sitting-on-their-hands-and-needles/ A big thanks to Mike Kovacs, the “24/7 malaphor hunter”.
You let the horse out of the cart
Posted: July 1, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, let the cat out of the bag, malaphor, malaphors, mashup, put the cart before the horse, words 1 CommentThis is a nice mashup of “put the cart before the horse” (have things in the wrong order or mixed up) and “let the cat out of the bag” (to reveal a secret or a surprise by accident). Lots going on in this one. “Cat” and “cart” are similar looking and sounding so they are definitely culprits in this mental mixup. Prepositions are often the cause of malaphors, and in this one, “out” and “before” seem to be in play. The speaker might have conjured up a feed bag for horses when he was thinking bag. Both phrases involve order, whether putting things in or putting them before something else. Yes, this is a classic malaphor, perfectly structured and multi-layered. A bravo to Bob Edwards for burping this one up and Susan Edwards for quickly writing it down and sending it in!
Did you like this one? Want to see more? Check out my book “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors” available on Amazon. You’ll want to read it from front to cover.
We played our hearts off
Posted: June 28, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Carl Hagelin, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, Pittsburgh Penguins, played our hearts out played out butts off, words Leave a commentThis was spoken by Pittsburgh Penguins hockey player Carl Hagelin after winning the Stanley Cup. It is a congruent conflation of “played our butts off” and “played our hearts out” (to an extreme degree or very hard). Out and off are the culprits here. Of course, maybe Carl is a bridge player. A big thanks to Jake Holdcroft for hearing this one on a local sports program and passing it on!
What planet are you living under?
Posted: June 26, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, on another planet, what rock did you crawl out of, words 2 CommentsThis botched question is a mashup of the phrases “on another planet” (oblivious to one’s surroundings or acting strangely) and “what crawled from under a rock” (someone or something unsavory or disliked). It might be appropriate for Atlas but not sure who else. A big thanks to Hannah Evanuik for unintentionally saying this one and Jake Holdcroft for passing it on!
Bockage
Posted: June 24, 2017 Filed under: WORD BLENDS | Tags: box, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, package, portmanteau, WORD BLENDS Leave a commentThe speaker meant to say “package” but this came out. It is a nice word blend malaphor of “box” and “package”. Since most packages in the mail now come in boxes, thanks to Amazon and the internet, “bockage” was eventually going to be spit out by someone. And really, isn’t it a nice word? Sounds like the lord of the manor pronouncing “package”. Also could be used when there are delays in shipping: “Sorry, we have a bockage right now”. A big thanks to Martin Pietrucha who accidentally blurted this one out and shared it immediately!
If you like this word blend check out my book on malaphors entitled “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon. Just click this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652205. There’s a whole chapter devoted to word blends, which are not portmanteaus, by the way (explanation in the book!).
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