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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 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).
- Catachresis
Quintilian on Metaphor and Catachresis "The first thing that...
- Lingo
"To speak the lingo is to become a member of a group that...
- Organizational Metaphor
Organizational metaphors provide information about the value...
- Creative Metaphor
A creative metaphor is an original comparison that calls...
- What Are Mixed Metaphors
As defined in our glossary, a mixed metaphor is a succession...
- What Are Malaphors
It is also called an idiom blend. The term malaphor—a blend...
- What is Conceit
Examples and Observations "In general one may say that a...
- Dead Metaphors
Examples and Observations "Kansas City is oven hot, dead...
- Catachresis
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.
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.
- 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.
It occurs when a writer or speaker attempts to use multiple metaphors to make a point, but the resulting combination is confusing or nonsensical. Mixed metaphors can create unintended and humorous effects, as the different metaphors clash with one another.
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May 23, 2024 · A mixed metaphor usually results from too many ideas being used together — “her eyes were stars floating on a soft breeze” — or from a single metaphor being extended out in a way that ultimately corrupts the image — “that man is a dog, slithering about and hissing.”
