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- When we speak, our words get jumbled up. A malaphor, or mixed idiom, is the result of that mistake. It occurs when two idioms are mixed together and create a new phrase or saying. Most of the time, malaphors don’t make sense – but that’s okay. They’re not supposed to.
englishanyone.com/mixing-idioms/
I couldn't come up with a short title, but the upside is that there is not much needed to be said in the body of the question! For @dmr (and others), it mixes “let's cross that bridge when we come to it” and “burn one's bridges”.
Feb 7, 2023 · The thing about idioms is that they’re often scrambled, mixed, and lost in translation! Here are some of the most common mix-ups. Don’t miss the grammar mistakes you could be making.
- Spoonerism
- Malapropism
- Other Ways We Play with English Words
A ‘spoonerism’ is when a speaker accidentally mixes up the initial sounds or letters of two words in a phrase. The result is usually humorous.
A ‘malapropism’ is when an incorrect word is used in a sentence that sounds like the correct word but means something completely different.
Blends
One of the easiest ways to get words mixed up is to think of one word while trying to say another. This is how blends end up happening. These mistakes happen regularly in all languages and are usually easy to notice. One famous example in pop culture is from the 2004 film Mean Girls, where the main character Cady gets nervous and accidentally creates the word grool.
Portmanteaus
Sometimes, though, these blends are intentional and become official words of their own. These new words are called portmanteaus and are quite common in English. Don’t believe me? Well, think about the last time you listened to a podcast (iPod + broadcast), breathed in smog (smoke + fog), on met friends for brunch (breakfast + lunch). A relatively new blended word is for a type of food from Louisiana that has increased in popularity in recent years, especially around American Thanksgiving. Do...
To confuse a person or thing with someone or something else. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "get" and "mixed up." I think he got the dates mixed up for our meeting. He should have been here an hour ago. Uh oh, I got the powdered sugar mixed up with the baking soda.
Aug 2, 2024 · A malaphor is an informal term for a mixture of two aphorisms, idioms, or clichés (such as, "We'll burn that bridge when we come to it"). It is also called an idiom blend.
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To confuse a person or thing with someone or something else. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "get" and "mixed up." I think he got the dates mixed up for our meeting. He should have been here an hour ago. Uh oh, I got the powdered sugar mixed up with the baking soda.
