We can’t put the genie back in the box
Posted: April 11, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, genie back in the bottle, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, open Pandora's box, words 3 CommentsDiscussing politics is not always a good idea, unless you blurt out a malaphor. One of my major malaphor contributors, Yvonne Stam, was discussing social policy with her husband and uttered this great mixed idiom. It is a mash up of “can’t put the genie back in the bottle” (not being able to revert to a situation formerly existing) and “opening Pandora’s box” (doing something that causes a lot of unexpected problems). As Yvonne notes, both involve mythical creatures that cause trouble. Also, closing Pandora’s box has a similar meaning to putting the genie back in the bottle. Both are impossible. I also think the mix up is caused by the containers themselves – putting things in boxes and bottles. Finally, back rhymes with jack so it is possible Yvonne was also conjuring up an image of a jack-in-the-box. Who knows? Bottom line is it is a terrific malaphor, and kudos again to Yvonne Stam for sending this one in!
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I’m getting wet feet
Posted: April 10, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, getting cold feet, getting your feet wet, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, mixed idioms, words 2 CommentsA student was getting ready to give a presentation in front of the class, and he was a little nervous. He said “I’m getting wet feet”, a terrific combo of “getting cold feet” (lose one’s nerve) and “getting your feet wet” (to experience something for the first time). The mix up is an obvious one: both expressions have the words “feet” and “getting” in them. And of course feet can get cold when wet. A big thanks to Adam Jacob for hearing this one and passing it on!
If you loved this malaphor you’ll really love the book I recently published entitled “He Smokes Like a Fish and other Malaphors”, available now on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652205. Makes a great gift!
You need to get over your high horse
Posted: April 8, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, get off your high horse, get over yourself, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words Leave a commentThis gem was spoken from someone with an attitude. It is a congruent conflation of “get over yourself” and “get off your high horse”, both meaning to become humble or less haughty. The appearance of “your” in both phrases contributes to the mix up. The image of jumping over the horse in gym class also might have been in the speaker’s mind. The congruent conflation (two or more blended idioms having the same definition) is perhaps the best kind of malaphor. A big thanks to Steven Russell for hearing this one and Katie Hatfield for passing it on!
It was the nail that broke the camel’s back
Posted: April 6, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, final nail in the coffin, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, the straw that broke the camel's back, words Leave a commentThis is a wonderful congruent conflation of “straw that broke the camel’s back” and “the final nail in the coffin”, both meaning an event or action that ultimately leads to the failure of a situation. This malaphor was heard by Elizabeth Poulsen, the daughter of frequent malaphor contributor Marcia Riefer Johnston. Marcia indicated that Google brings up many instances of this phrase, which made her wonder if it is an intentional mashup. After looking at a few of them, they all seemed to be unintentional to me, making it a legitimate malaphor and an excellent one as well as it is congruent. One example found on the internet is a comment noted in the Hollywood Reporter discussing the women in Arrested Development:
Having a crush is normal, especially for costars, but Bialik has taken her infatuation with Jim Parsons to a whole new creepy level that seems to make even Parsons uncomfortable sometimes. She’s obsessed about talking about him, and manages to push her way beside him in press photos all the time, it’s unsettling. I’m not saying this is the nail that broke the camel’s back in her marriage, but if I were her hubby, I wouldn’t stand for all the pathetic Jim Parsons fawning from my wife either. Just sayin’.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/big-bang-theory-arrested-development-569916
Thanks to Elizabeth for sending this one in!
This isn’t my first day at the rodeo
Posted: April 2, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, not my first rodeo, words, you're not a day at the beach Leave a commentA prolific malaphor contributor, Yvonne Stam, was at the beach with her sister. To prepare for something they were about to do, Yvonne said they needed to do x, y and z. Her sister said she already done that, and that it was not her first day at the rodeo. This is a conflation of “not my first rodeo” (more than prepared for a given situation) and “you’re no day at the beach” (someone not easy to deal with). Given that they were at the beach, obviously the speaker had that in mind. Thanks Yvonne for hearing this one and passing it on.
They are fighting the uphill current
Posted: March 30, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, Frank King, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, swim against the current, uphill battle, words Leave a commentThis one was uttered by Rachel Maddow on her MSNBC show. It is a mash up of “uphill battle/struggle” (something difficult often because others are causing problems) and “swim against the current” (go against prevailing thought). The latter metaphor was used by Shakespeare Henry IV: “You must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair, which swims against your stream.” The two phrases were likely jumbled because they both involve someone fighting for something against adversity. A big thanks to the comedian Frank King! You can check out Frank at http://thefunnyhealthcarespeaker.com/.
He is green around the edges
Posted: March 28, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: expressions, green, green around the gills, green with envy, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, rough around the edges, words 1 CommentOn the National Geographic show Life Below Zero, one of the cast members (Sue Aikens) commented about getting help from one of her nephews and said that he was green around the edges. This is a mash up of “green” or “a little green” (rookie, not having much experience) and “rough around the edges” (unsophisticated or not refined). “Green around the gills” (look ill and pale) might also be in the mix given the word “around”. This malaphor reminds me of a classic uttered by then Senator Barack Obama. In the second debate, Obama said that McCain would want the public to think that he (Obama) was “green behind the ears” when it came to foreign policy. See my post: https://malaphors.com/2012/08/08/green-behind-the-ears/. Whether it’s wet or rough, it always seems to be green! A big thanks to Mike Ameel for hearing this one and passing it along!
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 commentYou can’t beat that with a dead horse
Posted: March 23, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: beat a dead horse, can't beat that, can't beat that with a stick, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words 2 CommentsConference calls are goldmines for malaphors. This amusing ditty was heard on a conference call and Greg, a faithful malaphor follower, spotted it immediately. I’m not sure what “that” is, but it more than likely can’t be beaten with a dead horse. This is a mash up of “beat a dead horse” (waste time doing something that has already been attempted), “can’t beat (or top) that” (no one can do better than that) and the extension of the latter, “you can’t beat that with a stick” (no one can do better than that). A stick might be used to prod a horse so the speaker might have had a vision of using a stick to flog or beat a dead horse.
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