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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

malaphor en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (General-American) audio
  • /ˈmæ.lə.fə/ (UK)
  • /ˈmæl.ə.fɔː/ (UK)
  • /ˈmæl.ə.foɹ/ (US)

Etymology

Blend of malapropism + metaphor; attributed to Lawrence Harrison in the Washington Post article "Searching for Malaphors" (Aug. 6, 1976).

Meanings

  1. (rare) An idiom blend: an error in which two similar figures of speech are merged, producing an often nonsensical result.
    • Among Swift's favorite malaphors are "He's a ragged individualist"; "I was up at the crank of dawn"; and "He's a fly in the oatmeal." 2012, George Michael Killenberg, Public Affairs Reporting Now: News of, by and for the People, Taylor & Francis:
    • What I conclude from this admittedly narrow data base is that, while the malaphor flourishes in bureaucratic compost, it will grow just about anywhere. The following malaphors are my pick of the letters. They were uttered in the home, on the farm, in the street. 1977, Benefit Payments Report, California Dept. of Benefit Payments, Health and Welfare Agency, →OCLC, page 5:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
malaphors Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

mixed metaphor

Relateds

antiproverb

Synonyms

Dundrearyism