Rocket Surgery and Other Malaphors

[underused]

Have you ever mixed your metaphors?

While not yet in the dictionary, Oxford is tracking a portmanteau to identify the kettle of fish in your wicket: **malaphors**.

The word malaphor is a blend of malapropism, meaning the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one (and named for Sheridan’s infamous Mrs Malaprop), and metaphor, a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Along with "rocket surgery," the link offers a few common examples, including ever popular "we'll burn that bridge when we come to it."

Can you think of any you've heard? (I had a friend who used to say he didn't trust someone as far as he could throw a stick at them.) Are there any metaphors you can't keep straight? Or maybe you just want to make some up--it's pretty fun. (This list of cliches could be the bird in the hand that feeds you.)

Let's try for the whole ball of hogs.

•

Image by Livi Prendergast for the Oxford Blog

Comments

[thedaughteroftyr]

I definitely use "rocket surgery" but as a deliberate joke.

I'll have to think hard to see if I can recall any others that I have heard. It's been a while I think.

I quite enjoy that there is a word for such slips.