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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 618
addict
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addict
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 618 |
The idea of "idiom blend", I suppose related to the mixed metaphor, is interesting. I love making combinations like this! One of my mother's favorite phrases was "Six of one, half dozen of another." I purposely "renew" that one when I use it, in different ways, but usually some variant of "Three dozen chickens, six dozen eggs". People usually just ignore it... But some of the examples given were:
It's not rocket science + It's not brain surgery = It's not rocket surgery
He's under the gun + He's behind the eight ball = He's under the eight ball
That's another kettle of fish + That's another can of worms = That's another kettle of worms
It might be fun to come up with a few, although I'm blanking at the moment... :0)
I'd contribute some but I'm not exactly the sharpest bulb in the six-pack. But at least your heart's as big as gold.
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Joined: Aug 2002
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
and my favourite by a friend "He looked like death run over."
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293 |
and my favourite by a friend "He looked like death run over." "You look like A Million Bucks! {after taxes}"
"I am certain there is too much certainty in the world" -Michael Crichton
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
"A bird in the hand is worth two cats on a hot tin roof"
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876 |
My thought was to create some like the examples they gave, where the two idioms used actually have the same meaning, not two dissimilar phrases. This makes it harder. I can do a lame one for now:
don't spill the beans + don't let the cat out of the bag = don't let the beans out of the bag OR don't spill the cat
:0)
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876 |
and my favourite by a friend "He looked like death run over." Love it!
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
greenhorn as the origin of "green". In checking this out, the etymology I found is Olde English, and referring to newly slaughtered animals. If anyone can clear that up a bit more for me, I'd appreciate it because it's not clicking in my brain...
When an animal's antlers, or horns, are just growing in, they can be referred to as "green".
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
"Greenhorn (containing the sense of "new, fresh, recent") was first "young horned animal" (1455), then "recently enlisted soldier" (1650), then "any inexperienced person" (1682)."
The online etymology does not speak of slaughtered animals, only of 'new , fresh, recent. These words with horn at the back. I really do not understand where 'inkhorn' comes from. ('=')
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
Michael Quinion explains all, or at least inkhorn.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
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Thank you for that good article. In these days 'inkhorn' is an quite an inkhorn word. If I had known it as inkpot word, no one would have had to explain.
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