Let dead dogs sleep
Posted: January 2, 2013 Filed under: ACTION, ANIMALS, dog, sleep | Tags: blended idioms, dogs, don't beat a dead horse, English Language, expressions, horses, let sleeping dogs lie, malaphors, mixed idioms, Richard Lederer, words 3 Comments
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This is a conflation of “let sleeping dogs lie” (leave something alone that might cause trouble) and I think “don’t beat a dead horse” (don’t waste time doing something that has already been attempted). When you mix dogs with horses, and sleeping with lying and dying, you get this malaphor. This one comes from Richard Lederer‘s Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language, rev. ed. Wyrick, 2006.
It’s as easy as falling off a piece of cake
Posted: January 1, 2013 Filed under: ACTION, cake, fall, FOOD, pie | Tags: blended idioms, conflations, easy as falling off a log, easy as pie, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, piece of cake, words 2 Comments
English: Wedding cake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is a mash up of “it’s as easy as falling off a log”, “easy as pie”, and “it’s a piece of cake”, all meaning something very easy. This is a great example of a congruent malaphor, when two or more root expressions have the same or similar meaning. These kinds of malaphors are almost always understood by the listener because the idioms express the same thought.
It’s time to swallow the bullet
Posted: December 31, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, bullet, swallow, THINGS | Tags: bite the bullet, bitter pill, blended idioms, expressions, fiscal cliff, malaphors, mixed idioms, swallow your pride, words Leave a commentThis is a mix up of “bite the bullet” and “bitter pill to swallow”, both having similar meanings – reluctantly accepting something unpleasant. “My ol’ pal” correctly told me not to forget “swallow your pride”, which also refers to doing something you would rather not do and so is probably on the speaker’s mind as well. As we approach the fiscal cliff, I think some folks need to swallow the bullet and make those hard choices they were elected to do.
That’s the way the cookie bounces
Posted: December 30, 2012 Filed under: ball, bounce, cookie, FOOD, THINGS | Tags: ball bounces, blended idioms, Cookie, cookie crumbles, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 4 Comments
English: A Pepperidge Farm “Nantucket” cookie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is a straightforward malaphor, mixing “that’s the way the cookie crumbles” and “that’s the way the ball bounces”, both meaning you can’t control everything that happens to you. It also could describe the rejects from cookie exchanges this time of year.
He put a burr in her bonnet
Posted: December 28, 2012 Filed under: ANIMALS, bee, bonnet, burr, CLOTHING | Tags: bee in her bonnet, blended idioms, burr under the saddle, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis is a confused conflation of “have a burr under his saddle” (irritated by something) and “put a bee in her bonnet” (give someone an idea), contributed by Steve Grieme. Perhaps the speaker was thinking of an irritating idea? Or could it possibly be a confusion of burrs and bees? I remember that song – “Let me tell you ’bout the burrs and the bees, and the flowers and the trees”….
Get a snap on it!
Posted: December 27, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, snap | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, hurry up, malaphors, mixed idioms, snap to it, words 2 CommentsThis was uttered by my friend Dave Julian, urging his kids to hurry up. It is a mash up I think of “snap to it” and “get a move on it”, both meaning to go faster. BTW, the latter is a Northeast Ohio/Northwest PA expression – thanks to Roger Curtis for pointing this out (and my “ol pal” from Los Angeles as well!). A thank you to Dave’s wife for sending this one to me.
It’s a crap in the dark
Posted: December 26, 2012 Filed under: BODY PARTS, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, crapshoot, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, shot in the dark, wild guess, words 1 CommentThis is a mash up of “shot in the dark” (wild guess) and “a crap-shoot” (risky enterprise), resulting in a phrase obviously not intended. This beauty was found in HomeRecording.com:
“This is just a crap in the dark, but have you tried disabling the drivers you don’t need in sonar?”
http://homerecording.com/bbs/user-forums-brand/cakewalk-sonar-forum/msdmo-dll-error-sonar-29157/
Eat my rubber!
Posted: December 22, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, burn, eat, rubber, THINGS | Tags: blended idioms, burn rubber, chevy chase, eat my dust, expressions, malaphors, mixed idioms, national lampoon's christmas vacation, words Leave a comment
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This classic malaphor is spoken by Clark (Chevy Chase) in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. His son corrects him, pointing out that it is a mash up of “eat my dust” and “burn rubber”. Thanks to John Costello for contributing this famous movie malaphor to the collection.
http://movieclips.com/VYvKC-christmas-vacation-movie-eat-my-rubber/
Leave it or lump it
Posted: December 21, 2012 Filed under: ACTION | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, like it or lump it, love it or leave it, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 6 CommentsThis twisted beauty is a mash up of “love it or leave it” (be supportive of your country or leave) and “like it or lump it” (take that or none). It has nothing to do with bathroom habits (I think).
He made a split minute decision
Posted: December 20, 2012 Filed under: ACTION, minute, second, TIME, WORD BLENDS | Tags: blended idioms, conflations, expressions, last minute, malaphors, mixed idioms, split second, WORD BLENDS, words Leave a commentThis is another word blend malaphor, mixing “split second decision” (immediately) and “at the last minute” (deciding something at the last opportunity). As I get older, I seem to be making more of these kinds of decisions.
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