A malaphor is a mixed idiom or mixed metaphor (or to use the more formal term, catachresis). It is a portmanteau word formed by combining malapropism (the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding word) and metaphor (a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable).
Look at the malaphors listed below👇🏾
| Malaphor | Metaphor/Idiom 1 | Metaphor/Idiom 2 |
|---|---|---|
| You hit the nail right on the nose | You hit the nail right on the head | That’s right on the nose |
| We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it | Don’t burn your bridges | We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it |
| It’s not rocket surgery | It’s not rocket science | It’s not brain surgery |
| She really stuck her neck out on a limb | Stuck her neck out | went out on a limb |
| A bird in the hand is worth letting the cat out of the bag | A bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush | Letting the cat out of the bag |
| Sorry, that train has sailed | That train has left the station | That ship has sailed |
| Seize the iron while it’s hot | Seize the moment | Strike the iron while it’s hot |
| You’ve opened this can of worms, now lie in it | Open a can of worms | You’ve made your bed, now lie in it |
| You buttered your bread, now lie in it | Butter your bread | You’ve made your bed, now lie in it |
| Have our ducks on the same page | Have your ducks on a row | To be on the same page |
| It’ll be a walk in the cake | A walk in the park | The icing on the cake |
| Don’t count your chickens in one basket | Don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched | Don’t put all your eggs in one basket |
| He’s the sharpest bulb in the box | The sharpest knife in the box | The brightest bulb in the box |
| It’s easy, like shooting fish from a baby | Like shooting fish in a barrel | Like taking candy from a baby |
| Don’t bite the gift horse in the mouth | Don’t bite the hand that feeds you | Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth |
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