I’ve got some tricks under my sleeve

Posted: February 19, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

A contestant on the show MasterChef was talking about making a comeback after having failed in the previous round. This is a subtle mashup of “tricks up (one’s) sleeve” (a secret plan, idea, or advantage) and “under (one’s) belt” (in one’s scope of experience). “Under my hat” (secret) might also be in the mix, considering that a magician likes to produce the trick where a rabbit comes out of a hat. Kudos to Anthony Kovacs for hearing this one!

I cried my ass off

Posted: February 17, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This one was found in the Philadelphia Inquirer (but you can also hear it on YouTube replays of the speeches) regarding highlights of the Super Bowl victory party in Philadelphia. Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, in his speech at the party, talked about how he left and went to Detroit and then came back.  He said when he left “I cried my ass off.”  This is a conflation of “cried my eyes out” (cried very hard) and “played/worked my ass off” (played/worked very hard). Here is the article:

https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-super-bowl-parade-highlights-jalen-hurts-motivation-brandon-graham-return-20250214.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=ios&utm_campaign=app_ios_article_share&utm_content=S7JCURGOBFAVHE27Y3TNKBAIV4

Many thanks to Linda Bernstein for spotting this beauty and sending it in!

Sorry to break the beans

Posted: February 12, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

This one was said by a co-worker at work. It is an alliterative mashup of “spill the beans” (give away a secret or surprise) and “break the news” (to reveal something, often that is bad or upsetting). I can’t help think that the speaker was thinking of “breaking wind” (farting) when “beans” floated to the mental surface. And maybe “break the bank”. Props to Elly Pietrucha for hearing this one and “passing” it on.

One Trick Mind

Posted: February 8, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Overheard on the subway. Two coworkers were speaking about a third coworker whom they seemed to not think highly of. While some might say this is a malaprop (“trick” for “track”), I think it is a bonafide malaphor, mixing “one track mind” (hyper-focused) and “one trick pony” (having limited skills). A shout out to regular malaphor contributor Verbatim for sharing this one!

Sharp as a whistle

Posted: February 5, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A grandmother was talking about her granddaughter, describing her as “sharp as a whistle”. This is a mashup of “sharp as a tack” (very clever or intelligent) and “clean as a whistle” (completely, entirely, or very neat). Perhaps she is smart and super clean? The malaphor is similar to a previous posting, “tight as a whistle”. https://malaphors.com/2022/03/14/security-is-tight-as-a-whistle/

A big thanks to Sam Edelmann who heard this one and passed it along!

They won by a long margin

Posted: February 3, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Overheard in a doctor’s waiting room. A game show was on tv and one of the patients shouted this mashup at the tv. This is an incongruent conflation (two idioms with opposite meanings) of “by a long shot” (something that has a very small chance of succeeding) and “by a wide margin” (by a large amount). Incongruent conflations are rare. So, a huge shoutout to Anthony Kovacs for hearing this one and sending it in!

On the edge of very thin ice

Posted: January 31, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Rookie, Season 7, episode 3. The precinct captain was chastising two rookie officers who disregarded commands from their superiors, yet still saved the day. Doesn’t seem intentional. This is a congruent conflation of “on the edge” and “on thin ice”, both meaning to get precariously close to danger. A big thanks to Verbatim for hearing this one!

We’re all in the same shoes

Posted: January 27, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On a conference call, federal employees were discussing how Trump’s executive orders would affect them. One of them uttered this mashup of “in the same boat” (in the same situation or sharing the same problem) and “in someone else’s shoes” (experiencing or seeing something from someone else’s point of view). This one reminds me of the 2017 Malaphor of the Year, “Welcome to my shoes”. https://malaphors.com/2017/01/02/welcome-to-my-shoes/

A big thanks to Katie Norwood for hearing this one!

Gimme a joke!

Posted: January 16, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

At the Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) was defending nominee Pete Hegseth, admonishing the Democrats for grandstanding and what he viewed as hypocrisy. After citing a few examples, he exclaimed, “Gimme a joke!”

This is a beautiful congruent conflation of “gimme a break!” and “what a joke!”, both expressions used to exasperation or disbelief. Many thanks to Daniel and to Mike Kovacs for sending this one in promptly.

I feel like I’m just eating my foot

Posted: January 13, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

This one was overheard in a conversation where a person was talking about having a problem saying inappropriate things recently. It’s a mashup of “eating my words” (admit that something you said before was wrong) and “putting (one’s) foot in (one’s) mouth” (unintentionally say something foolish or tactless). Props to Andy Jacobs for hearing this one and sending it in!

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