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- "Mixed metaphors are frowned on because they create a confusion instead of a fusion of effects, like the 'Irish bull' about the man who, whenever he opened his mouth, put his foot in it" (Louis Untermeyer, The Pursuit of Poetry).
www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-mixed-metaphor-1691395
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.
Jun 6, 2019 · "Mixed metaphors are frowned on because they create a confusion instead of a fusion of effects, like the 'Irish bull' about the man who, whenever he opened his mouth, put his foot in it" (Louis Untermeyer, The Pursuit of Poetry).
- 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
Mixed metaphors occur when two different metaphors lose their combined connotation and instead produce an unclear or ridiculous context. People get crossed up with such by not having a proper knowledge which result on to less communication.
Aug 16, 2024 · Why is it Called Mixed Metaphors? Mixed metaphors arise when two or more unrelated metaphors are blended together, often creating a humorous or nonsensical effect. The term “mixed” indicates the fusion of these different metaphorical expressions into one, resulting in an image or comparison that isn’t typically found in everyday language.
May 23, 2024 · Many times, a mixed metaphor occurs due to the imagery in the metaphor being extended with language that does not support the initial metaphor. “He slithered through the room,” seems to indicate that a man is acting like a snake, using the man and snake to create the initial metaphor.
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Jan 12, 2023 · A mixed metaphor occurs when an author combines two incompatible metaphors, forming an absurd or irrational comparison. In a mixed metaphor, there is no connection between what the author compares. Mixed metaphors sometimes make use of clichés and malapropisms and typically produce a humorous or ridiculous effect.
