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- 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.
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Nov 10, 2023 · 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. Examples of spoonerisms include: ‘blushing crow’ (instead of ‘crushing blow’) ‘hair bug’ (instead of ‘bear hug’) ‘flock of bats’ (instead of ‘block of flats’) ‘by mad’ (instead of ‘my bad’)
The secret to using them correctly and in context is to build up your speaking confidence, and the first step in that process is to know which idioms sometimes get mixed up. Let’s take a look at 6 common mixed idioms and what you can say instead.
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.
Mar 3, 2018 · The name for a new word created by combining and eliding two distinct words is called a neologism. However, normally that refers to a new word that makes sense when you combine two words, not an already established word that doesn't make sense in the context you intend.
Jul 20, 2021 · Everyone (unless they’re an editor with no social skills) pretends it didn’t matter, and life goes on. But in writing, these matter. They sit there and taunt the reader to notice something is wrong, and usually they succeed. Let’s get into why mixed metaphors are a problem and how to avoid them.
Conflate is a more formal way to say "mix together," and it's typically used for texts or ideas. You probably wouldn't say you conflated the ingredients for a cake, but if you blended two different stories together to make a new one, conflate would work.
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At its core, “mix up” refers to a situation where things become jumbled or confused. However, there are many different scenarios in which this can occur. For example: If you accidentally switch two people’s names when introducing them, you have mixed them up.