That’s skating very close to the wind

Posted: March 17, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment
Dr. Zeke Emanuel on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports was talking about some of the problems associated with the response to the corona virus, and uttered this gem.  It is a congruent conflation of “skating on thin ice” and “sailing close to the wind”, both meaning to do something risky or dangerous.  Skating and sailing are the culprits here.  A big thanks to David Stephens for hearing this one and sending it in.
Did you enjoy this one?  If so you might like the book on malaphors, “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available on Amazon now.  Since you are quarantined, what else do you have to do?

 

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I’m walking on ice with you

Posted: August 4, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: eggs, FOOD | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sounds like a song title, but it actually is a malaphor.  The speaker meant to say eggshells instead of ice, and wound up mixing the phrases “walking on eggshells” (try very hard not to upset someone) and “walking (or skating) on thin ice”” (risky situation).  The mix up is probably due to ice and eggshells both being easily breakable.  Also, if you don’t walk on eggshells with a person who is upset you might be skating on thin ice!  A big thank you to Paula Fow for sending this one in.

 

Walking on Thin Ice