# Mixed metaphors **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538 "2001-02-07T19:47:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/1 "2001-02-07T19:47:35Z")
Ah the English language and its colloquialisms. Now is the time for all good posters to come to the aid of their language. Time to mix your metaphor. A little saying here, a dash of language there, and spice it up with a hanging participle. As subtle as a pin drop in church. Use one stone to kill a bird in the hand better than one in the bush. It is time to fight fire with that spark of love. As sharp as a tacky knife. ---
**Author:** ![Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/2 "2001-02-07T20:13:40Z")
Don’t look a horse of a different color in the mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/3 "2001-02-07T20:49:02Z")
Don’t count all your chickens in one handbasket on your way to hell. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/4 "2001-02-07T21:03:25Z")
I have not yet begun to give up the ship!! No, wait, that’s not right… ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/5 "2001-02-07T21:06:52Z")
A rolling stone gathers ye rosebuds while ye may. ---
**Author:** ![keeper0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@keeper0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeper0)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/6 "2001-02-07T21:14:14Z")
People in glass houses shouldn’t call the kettle black. That’s spilt milk under the bridge. When in Rome, don’t build in a day. Its time to read the writing on the wall of the corner you have painted yourself into. ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/7 "2001-02-07T21:16:24Z")
and I usually am… but… are these not called malapropisms? From Archie Bunker: “That’s about as funny as a rubber crotch.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/8 "2001-02-07T21:33:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smug \* > \*\*“That’s about as funny as a rubber crotch.” > 🙂 \*\* ROFLSCOMN ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/9 "2001-02-07T21:43:10Z")
Like shooting monkeys in a barrel. A Rolling Stone gathers Kate Moss Frankly my dear, I damn the torpedos, full speed ahead! oh, and this isn’t a mixed metaphor, but it made me laugh when I read it in a book: that priest couldn’t be more trouble if he had a lit candle sticking out of his arse while sitting on a keg of gun powder. ---
**Author:** ![St.Attila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@St.Attila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Attila)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/10 "2001-02-07T21:44:20Z")
From the movie _Airplane_ > [@](#): > > Looks like the foot’s in the other hand now… ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/11 "2001-02-08T02:02:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smug \* > **and I usually am… but… are these not called malapropisms?** **Smug** well actually the difference is that a mixed metaphor is two different metaphors (sayings) mixed up together to get an almost nonsensical saying while a malapropisms is according to Webster “the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context”. You have to stop and smell the cart before the horse. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/12 "2001-02-08T02:17:47Z")
My favorite is: Now you’ve taken a bite out of my sacred cow. ---
**Author:** ![Race\_Bannon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Race\_Bannon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Race_Bannon)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/13 "2001-02-08T02:21:11Z")
Easy as falling off a piece of cake. Now it’s time to cut some new water. ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/14 "2001-02-08T09:16:35Z")
That clears it up for me, thanks **deb**. Case closed. Ipso fatso. 🙂 I like the Kate Moss one **Enderw24**. ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/15 "2001-02-08T12:57:33Z")
As I say to Mrs. Spritle… He who laughs last has the shoe on the other foot. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/16 "2001-02-08T13:32:27Z")
Heh. Here’s an old thread on this topic. Some of TennHippie’s are classic. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=12982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=12982) > [@](#): > > Why buy the cow when the gift horse is free? > It’s always darkest before the storm. Still waters and oil don’t mix. Don’t count your chickens before the well runs dry. Every thorn has a silver lining. She’s the apple of a pig’s eye. He who laughs last has the best medicine. Don’t bite off more than a bitter pill to swallow. Wake up and spill the beans. Too many cooks peed on your wienies. ---
**Author:** ![Watermelon\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/22d042/32.png) [@Watermelon\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watermelon_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/17 "2001-02-08T13:35:57Z")
A stitch in time flies ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/18 "2001-02-09T03:32:22Z")
A fool and his money are a girl’s best friend. ---
**Author:** ![TruePisces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/truepisces/32/13628_2.png) [@TruePisces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruePisces)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-metaphors/53538/19 "2001-02-09T03:43:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bumbazine \* > \*\*A fool and his money are a girl’s best friend. \*\* I think this one has to be my favorite… 😃