That was the only flaw in the ointment
Posted: March 26, 2013 Filed under: fly, ointment | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, flaw, fly, fly in the ointment, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis is a mash up of “fly in the ointment” and “flaw in the logic”, both referring to a drawback. Confusion may also be caused by the similar sounding words “fly” and “flaw”. Thanks to Barry Eigen for passing this gem along!
They played out of their heads
Posted: March 23, 2013 Filed under: head, mind | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, Florida Gulf coast University, head, humor, language, malaphors, mind, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentAnother malaphor from the sports world. A tv sports commentator uttered this one when describing an underdog basketball team. This is a mash up of “out of their minds” and “over their heads”, both describing a team that played beyond expectations. NCAA cinderella team perhaps?
Athletics logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
He’s an easy-go-lucky fellow
Posted: March 22, 2013 Filed under: WORD BLENDS | Tags: blended idioms, easy-going, expressions, happy-go-lucky, humor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis is a single word blend of “easy-going” and “happy-go-lucky”, both generally meaning the same thing.
It’s a thorn in the foot
Posted: March 21, 2013 Filed under: BODY PARTS, foot, thorn | Tags: blended idioms, expressions, fables, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, thorn, thorn in the side, words Leave a commentThis was uttered at a presentation where the speaker was describing a problem. It is a mash up of “thorn in the side” and possibly “shoot yourself in the foot”, but probably the speaker was thinking of the Aesop fable where the lion has a thorn in his paw. Or, as “my ol’ pal” notes, we sometimes get slivers in our feet when walking barefoot. Thanks to Cecily for sending this one to me!
It’s Monday so I guess it’s back to the old bump and grind
Posted: March 18, 2013 Filed under: bump, grind | Tags: blended idioms, bump and grind, expressions, grind, humor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis beauty is an incongurent conflation of “the old grind” and “bump and grind”, two expressions that have nothing to do with each other except for a certain profession. Props to Sally Adler who heard this on the NPR show “Way with Words”. Have fun with this one!
He’s really having his day in the shade
Posted: March 16, 2013 Filed under: shade, sun | Tags: blended idioms, day in the sun, expressions, humor, language, made in the shade, malaphors, mixed idioms, shade, sun, words 3 Comments
Hold your jets!
Posted: March 15, 2013 Filed under: ANIMALS, horse, jets | Tags: blended idioms, cool your jets, expressions, hold your horses, horses, humor, jets, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, words Leave a commentThis malaphor was spoken by a dad who was telling his son to stop messing with the car radio. After blurting it out he immediately knew to contact the Malaphor King. This is a mash up of “hold your horses” and “cool your jets”, both meaning to slow down or control one’s excitement.
That’s hogcock
Posted: March 13, 2013 Filed under: WORD BLENDS | Tags: 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, blended idioms, expressions, hogwash, humor, Jack Donaghy, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, poppycock, television, words 2 Comments
Jack Donaghy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This word blend malaphor was uttered on the t.v. show 30 Rock by Alec Baldwin’s character, Jack Donaghy. In fact, it was the title (Hogcock!) of the first part of the one hour series finale. It is a blend of “hogwash” and “poppycock”, as the character says.
Don’t let the bean out of the bag
Posted: March 12, 2013 Filed under: ANIMALS, bean, cat, FOOD | Tags: beans, blended idioms, cat, cat out of the bag, expressions, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, spill the beans, words Leave a commentThis strange expression is a mash up of “cat out of the bag” and “spill the beans”, both meaning to give away a secret or surprise. The speaker may also have been thinking of bean bags. Who didn’t have a bean bag chair adorning their living room in the 70s and 80s? Mine was a beautiful pukish brown with a corduroy cover – stylish. Thanks to Cathy Miller for this one!
Bean Bag Chair (Photo credit: Clover_1)
It will probably go belly under
Posted: March 9, 2013 Filed under: belly, BODY PARTS | Tags: belly up, blended idioms, congruent conflation, expressions, go under, humor, language, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 2 CommentsThe context of this malaphor was in reference to a newly opened restaurant that probably will not survive. This is a congruent conflation of “going belly up” and “going under”, both meaning business failure. Again, direction seems to be the hang up in this one (and many other previously posted ones), and of course that both phrases have the same meaning. A big thank you to Jody Compton for serving this one up!
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