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Jun 6, 2019 · Updated on June 06, 2019. A mixed metaphor is a succession of incongruous or ludicrous comparisons. Also known—playfully—as a mixaphor. Although many style guides condemn the use of mixed metaphors, in practice most of the objectionable combinations (as in the examples below) are actually clichés or dead metaphors.
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Jun 21, 2022 · Mixed Metaphors Explained: 8 Examples of Mixed Metaphors. 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.
- 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
May 23, 2024 · A mixed metaphor is a type of metaphor in which the metaphoric image includes either two different metaphors together, which do not function well together, or several concepts that ultimately make the metaphor confusing. Such metaphors are usually considered poor or inappropriate, especially since they can ultimately result in a lack of meaning ...
Jan 24, 2019 · A malapropism is defined as the unintentional misuse of a word to create a ridiculous sentence. It’s all-too-easy for someone to make a mistake in English which would lead to a malapropism, simply because so many English words sound alike. So…. “He’s going through that awkward phrase.”. Instead of “He’s going through that awkward ...
Jun 25, 2024 · The definition of a mixed metaphor is the fusion of two different metaphors to create an illogical comparison. While a metaphor uses consistent language and imagery (e.g., “He’s got a chip on his shoulder;” “He’s got something up his sleeve”), a mixed metaphor blurs the imagery by combining two dissimilar or impossible things (e.g ...
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Jan 12, 2023 · Mixed metaphors can be spoken, written, or visual metaphors. An example of a mixed metaphor is a figure of speech that just doesn't make sense. Writers often intentionally include misused metaphors to produce a comedic effect, showcasing a character’s ignorance or naivety. Examples of these metaphors occur in the following movies:
