# Mixed-Up Metaphors **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 20, 2010, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381 "2010-09-20T08:56:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/1 "2010-09-20T08:56:18Z")
Do you have any phrases that are two or more metaphors mixed together? I’ll give two examples: > [@](#): > > He’s not the sharpest needle in the haystack. For my favorite one I have to give credit to a very good friend who thanks to my constant “There’s this thread that I read on the dope…” started lurking a couple of weeks ago (so she should be ready to sign up in about 3-4 years): > [@](#): > > We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it. Waiting for more humorous or philosophical gems. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/2 "2010-09-20T11:02:00Z")
I personally really like “It’s not rocket surgery!!” ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/3 "2010-09-20T11:15:23Z")
Yes, that is good. It also makes a nice combo with your user name… ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/4 "2010-09-20T11:22:58Z")
Don’t count your chickens til you cross the bridge… Courtesy of my mother, whose native language was not English. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/5 "2010-09-20T15:11:13Z")
Does the pope shit in the woods? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/6 "2010-09-20T15:36:29Z")
That’s the pot calling a different kettle of fish. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/7 "2010-09-20T15:44:06Z")
I’ll burn that bridge when I come to it. My personal motto - embroidered on all of my towels. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/8 "2010-09-20T15:55:37Z")
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him piss like a racehorse. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/9 "2010-09-20T16:03:26Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Does the pope shit in the woods? Paired with, “Are the Bears Catholic?” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/10 "2010-09-20T16:13:41Z")
All roads lead to those who wait. ---
**Author:** ![CWN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@CWN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CWN)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/11 "2010-09-20T19:47:23Z")
A bird in hand gathers no moss ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/12 "2010-09-20T20:14:27Z")
An ounce of prevention is wasted on the young. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/13 "2012-03-30T18:45:20Z")
That’s a horse of a different feather. Don’t cry wolf in sheep’s clothing. _And my personal favorite:_ Necessity is the mother of strange bedfellows. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/14 "2012-03-30T19:23:37Z")
Vinny Paz once said of another boxer “He’s not the sharpest marble in the box.” ETA: Nevermind, though. That’s not exactly what you were looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/15 "2012-03-30T19:25:43Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Does the pope shit in the woods? Holy shit! ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/16 "2012-03-30T19:28:28Z")
Don’t look a dead horse in the mouth. If you’re gonna make an omelet, you gotta break a few legs. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/17 "2012-03-30T19:31:09Z")
That’s the way the cookie bounces. ---
**Author:** ![Yaxche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8dc957/32.png) [@Yaxche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yaxche)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/18 "2012-03-30T19:52:44Z")
Why don’t you take a dirt nap off a short pier? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/19 "2012-03-30T20:23:43Z")
From the song “Past the Point of No Return” from Phantom of the Opera: The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn ---
**Author:** ![Celidin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Celidin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celidin)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381/20 "2012-03-30T20:30:10Z")
“He’s not the sharpest bulb in the Westinghouse lineup” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixed-up-metaphors/554381.md?page=2)