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- Burning the Midnight Oil From Both Ends. “I’m so stressed that I’m burning the midnight oil from both ends.” This is a mixup of the two idioms, “burning the midnight oil” and “burning the candle at both ends.”
- Heavy Is the Goose That Lays the Golden Egg. “George just got promoted to management, I hope he’s ready for it. Heavy is the goose that lays the golden egg.”
- Walking a Thin Line. “That decision seems a little risky! He’s walking a thin line.” This malaphor is a combination of “walking on thin ice” and “walking a fine line.”
- I Can Read Him Like the Back of My Book. “He couldn’t hide anything from me. I can read him like the back of my book!” This malaphor mixes up two very common idioms: “know him like the back of my hand” and “read him like a book.”
- 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...
Aug 2, 2024 · - We will get there by hook or ladder. . . . - It's time to step up to the plate and lay your cards on the table. - He's burning the midnight oil from both ends. - It sticks out like a sore throat. - It's like looking for a needle in a hayride." (Gyles Brandreth, Word Play: A Cornucopia of Puns, Anagrams and Other Curiosities of the English ...
- Richard Nordquist
May 7, 2021 · Idioms and aphorisms decorate our language wonderfully, but they can also be a trap for the unwary when a couple of them get mashed up together. Mostly, these are called mixed metaphors, but there is a sub-category known as a malaphor or an idiom blend.
- A Black Sheep. Meaning: An odd or disreputable member of a group. In a Sentence: Sarah always felt like the black sheep in her family, pursuing art while everyone else excelled in business.
- Burn One’s Bridges. Meaning: To damage relationships beyond repair. In a Sentence: Quitting his job in a fit of rage, Jake unknowingly burned his bridges with the entire team.
- Cry Over Spilled Milk. Meaning: To lament something that has already happened and cannot be changed. In a Sentence: Instead of crying over spilled milk, Mary decided to learn from her mistakes and move forward.
- Dark Horse. Meaning: A little-known person who emerges to achieve unexpected success. In a Sentence: The rookie turned out to be a dark horse, surprising everyone with his exceptional skills on the field.
Feb 7, 2023 · Idiom (noun): a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, see the light).
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The two words got muddled in a piece of Middle-Ages mistranslation. It’s not exactly the most commonly used idiom any longer and, outside of reviews for old Errol Flynn films, you aren’t likely to see it. All the same, it’s best to have it right. ‘Daring do’ isn’t a phrase, but ‘derring-do’ is.
