Search results
Jun 21, 2022 · A well-crafted metaphor uses consistent imagery ("hitting the nail on the head”); when you start mixing imagery ("hitting the nail on the nose"), you can create a type of malapropism known as a mixed metaphor.
A mixed metaphor is a mixture of two or more dissimilar, figurative elements, like metaphors, similes, and idioms, which in turn, lead to the silly or even confusing effect. This is likely to occur when you are creative and borrow ideas from various quarters or contexts potentially rendering your statement nonsensical or with disjointed ideas.
Jun 6, 2019 · "I am tempted to believe that the indiscriminate condemnation of mixed metaphors arises more often from pedantry than from common sense." (Edward Everett Hale, Jr. Constructive Rhetoric, 1896) "[T]o the fertile mind that thinks up a series of comparisons one gives admiration--and defense against those who misunderstand the ban on mixed metaphors."
- Richard Nordquist
- Using Mixed Metaphors
- Examples of Mixed Metaphors
- Sources
In "Garner's Modern American Usage", Bryan A. Garner offers this classic example of a mixed metaphor from a speech by Boyle Roche in the Irish Parliament: This sort of mixed metaphor may occur when a speaker is so familiar with the figurative sense of a phrase ("smell a rat," "nip in the bud") that he fails to recognize the absurdity that results f...
"So now what we are dealing with is the rubber meeting the road, and instead of biting the bullet on these issues, we just want to punt.""[T]he bill is mostly a stew of spending on existing programs, whatever their warts may be.""A friend of mine, talking about the Democratic presidential candidates, tossed out a wonderful mixed metaphor: 'This is awfully weak tea to have to hang your hat on.'""The mayor has a heart as big as the Sahara for protecting 'his' police officers, and that is commendable. Unfortunately, he also often strips his gears by failing to engage the clutch when shiftin...Lynne Truss, "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation", 2003 Chicago Tribune, cited by The New Yorker, August 13, 2007 The New York Times, January 27, 2009 Montgomery Advertiser, Alabama, cited by The New Yorker, November 16, 1987 Bob Herbert, "Behind the Curtain," The New York Times, November 27, 2007 Thomas L. Friedman, ...
- Richard Nordquist
Aug 16, 2024 · A mixed metaphor is the combination of two or more unrelated and sometimes incongruous metaphors, resulting in a statement that is not logically consistent or, at times, unintentionally humorous. While some mixed metaphors are intentional and meant to catch the reader’s attention, others arise from carelessness or a lack of familiarity with the original idiomatic expressions.
Mixed metaphors are somewhat similar to catachresis. However, a mixed metaphor is not considered an erroneous use of metaphor. It is an artistic device to evoke amusement or laughter. What is a Dead Metaphor? A dead metaphor or malaphor is a type of metaphor in which the sense of an original comparison is lost due to overuse, repetition, and ...
People also ask
What is a mixed metaphor?
Can a writer use mixed metaphors to explore an idea?
Why are mixed metaphors frowned on?
How do mixed metaphors affect communication?
Are mixed metaphors haphazard?
Are mixed metaphors a cliché or a dead metaphor?
Jan 24, 2019 · Don’t confuse a malapropism with a mixed metaphor. Mixed metaphors are two or more incompatible metaphors which sound ridiculous when put together. They may or may not be combined inadvertently, whereas all malapropisms are the result of a mistake. The result is still hilarious, but mixed metaphors often come from people who aren’t simply ...
