We have to take the punches as they come
Posted: June 22, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: congruent conflations, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, roll with the punches, take it as it comes, TLC, words 1 CommentThis malaphor was spoken by Jeremy Roloff on Season 10, Episode 2 of the TLC program “Little People, Big World.” He was referring to the challenge of eventually taking control of the family pumpkin farm and business in the face of his parents’ divorce. I believe this is a congruent conflation of “roll with the punches” and “take it as it comes”, both meaning to adjust to difficult events as they happen. This gem was caught by the Vice President of Malaphor Hunters (ViPMaH) Mike Kovacs. Thanks ViPMaH!
I am going to take it by ear
Posted: March 25, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, play it by ear, take it as it comes, take it day by day, take it in stride, words Leave a commentThis jumble was said by a friend’s daughter in response to a question as to when she would act on something. It is a congruent conflation of “play it by ear” and “take it as it comes”, both meaning to deal with a situation as it develops and without a plan. The speaker might have been envisioning someone pulling another by the ear when she spoke. “Take it on the chin” (receiving the full brunt of something) might also be in play, with chin and ears being body parts. “Take it day by day” and/or “take it in stride” also might have been swirling around the brain. A big thanks to Tina Kooser for hearing this one and John Kooser and Jody Compton for passing it along!
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