Nimwit
Posted: September 23, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: idioms, mixed metaphors, nimrod, wordplay Leave a commentA YouTuber was describing a dumb politician and used this word. It is a word blend congruent conflation of “dimwit” and “nimrod”, both terms describing a stupid person.
The idiom “nimrod” doesn’t seem to be used often these days. The usage perhaps was first recorded in an 1836 letter from Robert E. Lee to a female friend. Lee describes a “young nimrod from the West”, who in declining an appointment to West Point expressed the concern that “I hope my country will not be endangered by my doing so.” Although Lee may have been sarcastically referring to the student as a “tyrant or skillful hunter”, the modern usage more closely fits his message. The usage is often said to have been popularized by the Looney Tunes cartoon character Bugs Bunny sarcastically referring to the hunter Elmer Fudd as “nimrod” to highlight the difference between “mighty hunter” and “poor little Nimrod”, i.e. Fudd. However, it is in fact Daffy Duck who refers to Fudd as “my little Nimrod” in the 1948 short “What Makes Daffy Duck“, although Bugs Bunny does refer to Yosemite Sam as “the little Nimrod” in the 1951 short “Rabbit Every Monday“.
A big shout out to Verbatim for hearing this one and sending it in.
Clinton is selling them down the tubes
Posted: August 28, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Anderson Cooper, Donald Trump, expressions, going down the tubes, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed metaphors, selling them down the river, words Leave a commentDuring an interview with Anderson Cooper this week, Donald Trump responded to a question from Anderson on why he called Hillary Clinton a bigot. Referring to African Americans, Trump said that Clinton is “selling them down the tubes.” This is a mash up of “selling them down the river” (harming or disappointing people who trusted you) and “going down the tubes” (to become much worse). “Down” is the culprit here, as it appears in both idioms. Also, I suspect the image of tubing down the river might have floated in Donald’s mind.
For the first time, I received a malaphor spotting from two people, both who are loyal malaphor watchers and followers, Mike Kovacs and Sally Adler. A yuuuge thanks to Mike and Sally for hearing this timely mixed idiom and sending it in!
If you liked this one from the political world, I have a whole chapter of malaphors uttered by politicians in my new book, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon now!!
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