They’re walking on tenterhooks
Posted: May 27, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, on tenterhooks, Rush Limbaugh, walking on eggshells, words 2 CommentsThis one is from Rush Limbaugh’s lips. He was referring to the precarious position of the Republicans who can’t seem to get anything accomplished. This is a mash up of the idioms “on tenterhooks” (in a state of painful suspense) and “walking on eggshells” (to try very hard not to upset someone or something). Incidentally, the expression “on tenterhooks” refers to hooks that formerly were used to hold newly woven cloth that was being stretched on a frame. Their name has long survived this mid 1700s method of manufacture. A big thanks to Jack Chandler for hearing this one and passing it along!
Did you know Rush Limbaugh is the source for more than a few malaphors? Check them out in my book “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon for a cheap $6.99! That’s less than 7 dollars!
Spiraling downhill
Posted: May 25, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: downward spiral, expressions, going downhill, Greta Van Susteren, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, MSNBC, words Leave a commentIs there such a thing as a dyslexic malaphor? “Spiraling downhill” might be one. It was said on MSNBC’s Greta Van Susteren’s show, referring to Trump’s leaking of classified information to the Russians in the Oval Office. I believe it is a mashup of “spiraling down” and “going downhill”, both meaning something going out of control and getting worse. There is also “downward spiral”, also meaning a situation getting worse. If I keep thinking about this one, I will be spiraling downhill so my analysis now ends. A tip of the hat to Mike Kovacs for hearing this one!
Who is the person who can get this ship back on track?
Posted: May 22, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: back on track, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, Mika Brzezinski, Morning Joe, right the ship, words Leave a commentThis one was uttered by Mika Brzezinski on the MSNBC talk show, “Morning Joe”. She was talking about the Trump Presidency. It is a nice congruent conflation of “right the ship” and “get back on track”, both meaning to get something back on schedule or to return to normal. A big thanks to Susan Kestner for hearing this one and sending it on!
They took the wool away from my eyes
Posted: May 19, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, pulled the wool over my eyes, took my breath away, words, Wyndham Midtown 45 Leave a commentThis malaphor was spotted on a review of the Wyndham Midtown 45 hotel on Booking.com. Vanessa, the reviewer, was enchanted by the hotel and said “they took the wool away from my eyes.”
This is a mashup of “pulled the wool over our eyes” (to deceive) and “take (one’s) breath away” (to overwhelm someone with beauty or grandeur). I guess once the wool was removed she was able to see clearly. This one reminds me of an earlier malaphor posting, “he pulled the rug over my eyes” https://malaphors.com/2016/06/08/he-pulled-the-rug-over-their-eyes/ Deceit and beauty seem to go together…. A big thank you to Diana Greenhalgh for spotting this one and sending it in!
That opens a whole other kettle of fish
Posted: May 13, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: a different kettle of fish, Al Sussman, Beatles, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, opens up a can of worms, words Leave a commentThis conflation was uttered by Al Sussman in his Beatles podcast, “Things We Said Today.” It is a mashup of “opens up a can of worms” (an array of difficulties) and “a whole other kettle of fish” (to be entirely different in scope or description than what was just being discussed). Certainly fish and worms are associated and probably led to the mixup here. And then there are the two containers, kettle and can. The expression “a can of worms” gets bollocksed up often. Some examples posted on this website are “I don’t want to open up that hill of worms” https://malaphors.com/2016/04/25/i-dont-want-to-open-up-that-hill-of-worms/, “That’s a real ball of worms” https://malaphors.com/2012/12/18/thats-a-real-ball-of-worms/, and “That’ll be a kettle of worms” https://malaphors.com/2013/10/12/thatll-be-a-kettle-of-worms/. A big thanks to John Polk from ClichesGoneWild for hearing this one and passing it on!
We looked each other in the mirror
Posted: May 11, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: espn, expressions, humor, John Wall, language, look someone in the eyes, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentThis was spoken by NBA Wizards basketball player John Wall in an ESPN interview. It is a conflation of “look (someone) in the eyes (or face)” (face someone directly and forthrightly) and “look at myself in the mirror” (be candid and truthful with yourself). One certainly looks at one’s face or eyes when staring into a mirror, so the mix up is generated from that visual image, I think. A tip of the hat to Lin Sewell who heard this one and passed it on!
Everybody takes it as whole cloth
Posted: May 10, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cut out of whole cloth, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, Sean Spicer, take it as gospel, Trump, words Leave a commentThis was uttered by President Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, at the May 9, 2017 press conference. He was responding to a question about James Clapper’s testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee involving Russian interference in the last US Presidential election. Here is what he said:
MR. SPICER: Sure, I mean, in the sense that I’m not going to question. But I think the interesting thing is on all the other issues that he testifies about everybody takes it as whole cloth, that if he says anything he must — he was the DNI. So when you guys want him to speak for the entire 17 agencies, you sort of assume that that’s what he’s doing.
Considering the context, this is a mash up of “cut out of whole cloth”, meaning completely fictional or utterly false, and “takes (something) as gospel”, meaning believing something that is undeniably true. Mr. Spicer switched these, and thought I guess that “whole cloth” means it’s true. I wonder how he would describe some of the President’s tweets? Interestingly, the phrase “cut out of whole cloth” is a reference to tailors who would falsely advertise garments being “cut out of whole cloth,” when in reality, they were pieced together from different cuts. A big thanks to that Malaphor Man on the Street Mike Kovacs!
The cat’s out of the barn
Posted: May 8, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bill Maher, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, Philip Mudd, Real Time with Bill Maher, the cat is out of the bag, the horse is out of the barn, words 1 CommentPhilip Mudd, the former Deputy Director of the CIA National Counterterrorism Center, and current CNN counterterrorism analyst, was speaking on the HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher (the May 5, 2017 episode). About 42 minutes into the show, the panel discusses how Donald Trump should just be “quarantined” from taking actions by himself. Mr. Mudd then said you can’t “quarantine” Trump when it comes to foreign affairs and he cited several examples of Trump’s unilateral actions. He than blurted out the above malaphor, followed quickly by “or whatever that expression is”. What I love about his reaction is that this is precicsely what happens when a malaphor is uttered unintentionally. The speaker realizes that the expression is wrong, but is not sure why and how to correct it. The panel’s reaction was also classic, as they smirked but didn’t quite know why.
“The cat’s out of the barn” is a nice mash up of “the cat’s out of the bag” (the secret has been made known) and, because of the context, “lock the barn door after the horse has bolted” or “the horse is out of the barn”, both meaning an action that is useless as it is too late, which is what the speaker was describing. Certainly cats do live in barns to keep the mice population in check, so conflating cats with barns creates the malaphor. The words bag and barn also have similar sounds, adding to the confusion.
Amazingly, three malaphor hunters heard this one and sent it in on the same day. Three cheers to Mike Kovacs, Karl Robins, and Vasuki Narayan for hearing this one. They all have ears like a hawk.
Well, the cat is certainly out of the barn about my book on malaphors, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon. The phones have been ringing off the wall! Get one today! http://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652205
The speech played a factor
Posted: May 6, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, factor in, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, played a role, Rachel Maddow, words Leave a commentThis is a very subtle mashup. Rachel Maddow (again) was referring to Dean Acheson’s speech and said it might have “played a factor” in leading to the Korean War. This is a congruent conflation of “played a role (or part)” and “is a factor in (or factored in)”, both meaning to have a specific involvement or participation in something. Based on google hits, this is a very common malaphor. Thanks again to Frank King for hearing this one and dropping me a line.
Talk shows (particularly political talk shows) are full of malaphors. You can read more of them in my book, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon. Makes a great addition to any bathroom library!
They’re going to have to set the screws straight
Posted: May 5, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, set the record straight, tighten the screws, words 1 CommentThis was overheard on a sports radio talk show, referring to a baseball team and the need to get better this year. It is a mashup of “tighten the screws” (pressure someone or something) and “set the record straight” (to put right or correct a mistake or misunderstanding). Putting a screw in straight may have bubbled up to the speaker’s mind and mouth, creating the malaphor. A big thanks to Jack Chandler for hearing this one and passing it on. By the way, you can hear Jack wail with his quartet at Luna’s Cafe in Sacramento when he’s not spotting malaphors. https://www.facebook.com/events/475836506139834/
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