He passed every hurdle to receive asylum
Posted: July 11, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chris Hayes, clear every hurdle, expressions, malaphor, MSNBC, pass every test, words Leave a commentThis was heard on the MSNBC Chris Hayes show. It is a nice congruent conflation of “cleared every hurdle” and “passed every test”. A big thanks to “Eagle-Ear” Frank King for hearing this one. He also mentioned that you don’t get credit for passing a hurdle, or for clearing a test. Word.
He pulls those hat tricks out of the bag
Posted: July 10, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bag of tricks, Carson Wentz, expressions, hat trick, humor, Lane Johnson, language, malaphor, malaphors, Philadelphia Eagles, pull a rabbit out the hat, words 2 Comments
Parents should stick to their ground involving kids’ names
Posted: July 6, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, hold your ground, humor, idioms, language, malaphor, stick to your guns, words 2 CommentsI guess that means names like Sandy and Muddy? This was spotted on Quora, an internet platform to ask questions and get answers. It is a great congruent conflation of “stick to your guns” and “hold/stand your ground”, both meaning to refuse to yield or compromise. “Ground” and “guns” both start with a G and have a similar sound, hence the mental mix up. A big thanks to Margaret Grover who spotted this one and sent it in!
Civility is disappearing before our hands
Posted: July 5, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chris Jansing, disappear before our eyes, expressions, humor, malaphor, MSNBC, slipping through our fingers, Trump, words 1 CommentThis was heard on MSNBC, Jansing and Co. show. There was a discussion on civility in America and this malaphor was uttered. It is a mashup of “disappear before out eyes” (suddenly no longer visible) and I think “out of (someone’s) hands” (no longer in someone’s control). “Slip through (someone’s) fingers” might be in play, as it also refers to something missed or escaped. Fingers and hands are close in proximity. A big thanks to “Eagle-eared” Frank King!
The ball’s in your hand now
Posted: July 4, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: congruent conflation, expressions, humor, in our hands, malaphor, the ball's in your court, words Leave a commentSeen on Facebook. This is a congruent conflation of “the ball’s in your court” and “in your hands”, both meaning under one’s control or in possession. Certainly you catch a ball with your hands so the mind sees “ball” and attaches that word to “hand”. in all likelihood. “Out of our hands” may also be in the mix, although the meaning is the complete opposite to what the writer was trying to convey. Incongruent conflation perhaps? A big thanks to Katie Norwood for spotting this one.
They are not putting all their marbles in one basket
Posted: July 3, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: espn, expressions, for all the marbles, humor, language, malaphors, Michael Wilbon, PTI, put all your eggs in one basket, words 3 CommentsThis one is from the ESPN show “Pardon the Interruption” (PTI). There was a discussion about the Lakers and LeBron James’ free agency. Michael Wilbon reported that Magic Johnson [the Lakers’ director of basketball operations] stated that they are not putting all their marbles in one basket. Even Tony Kornheiser then pointed out to Michael that it should have been eggs, not marbles. This is a nice conflation of “for all the marbles” (all the winnings, spoils, or rewards) and “put all your eggs in one basket” (to invest all of one’s energy in a single venture). Marbles resemble eggs and vice versa so this is probably the reason for the mix up. A big thanks to Gerry Abbott for hearing this one and sending it in.
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Tarred with the same feather
Posted: July 1, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: humor, language, malaphor, tarred and feathered, tarred with the same brush, wordplay, words Leave a commentThis is a super mashup of “tarred and feathered” (to excoriate or criticize someone in a humiliating and public manner) and “tarred (painted) with the same brush” (unfairly judge or categorize as being the same as someone, usually in a negative manner). Both idioms refer to a negative action against another. They also both have the word “tar” in them, which is probably the cause of the mental hiccup. Also, brushes can be composed of hairs, which may have led the mind back to the word “feather”. A big thanks to Michael Boyette for hearing this one and sending it to my Facebook page, Malaphors.
He was drunk out of his ass
Posted: June 28, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: drunk off his ass, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, out of his mind, words Leave a commentI love this one. This was overheard outside a bar. It is a mashup of “drunk off his ass” (very intoxicated) and “out of his mind” (crazy). Crazy drunk? Upside down? A big thanks to Anthony Kovacs for hearing this one and sending it in!
I need to catch my bearings
Posted: June 25, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: catch my breath, expressions, get my bearings, humor, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentA person was getting overwhelmed trying to do too many things at once. He then blurted out that “I need to stop and catch my bearings.” This is a mashup of “get my bearings” (figure out one’s position relative to one’s surroundings) and “catch my breath” (relax, take a break). “Bearings” and “breath” start with a “b”, causing the malaphor. Also, both phrases indicate someone pausing before proceeding. A big thanks to John Kooser for hearing this one and passing it on.
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Will it pay fruit?
Posted: June 23, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bear fruit, Chris Matthews, expressions, humor, malaphor, malaphors, pay dividends, pay off, Trump, words Leave a comment“The Master of Malaphors” Chris Matthews said this beauty on his show on June 13, talking about Cohen possibly flipping on Trump. It is a congruent conflation of “pay off”, “pay dividends”, and “bear fruit”, all meaning to yield positive benefits or results. Let the flipping begin, and see the many bananas and apples appear.
By the way, loyal followers might cry foul on this one as I posted this malaphor last November. https://malaphors.com/2017/11/22/our-hard-work-is-finally-starting-to-pay-fruit/ True, but when “The Master” speaks, I must post. A big thanks to “Hawkear” Frank King for hearing this one.
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