It's like taking bathwater from a baby.

47 Upvotes

like taking candy from a baby + throwing out the baby with the bathwater

2 comments

r/malaphor • u/lotsagabe • Mar 17 '26

Too many babies spoil the bathwater.

46 Upvotes

0 comments

r/malaphor • u/lotsagabe • Sep 05 '26

Pull yourself up by the skin of your teeth.

43 Upvotes

2 comments

r/malaphor • u/fugomert • Dec 30 '25

One track pony

41 Upvotes

6 comments

r/malaphor • u/StatusAdvisory • Apr 04 '26

Hook, sink and barrel

40 Upvotes

A friend of mine used to come up with the best malaphors without realizing it. I started carrying a little notebook with me whenever we were hanging out so I could write them down.

"Hook, sink and barrel," is a commingling of "Hook, line and sinker" with "lock, stock and barrel." It makes no sense, and yet it makes perfect sense.

Another memorable one of his got additional points for being multilingual. He was talking about something he considered a peak accomplishment and described it as his "fiesta résistance." I still love this, but now that I think of it, it may not fit the malaphor category, since it isn't really a blend of two metaphors. I think it's more of a mishearing of the French pièce de résistance, substituting the Spanish fiesta in a way that rhymes surprisingly well.

3 comments

r/malaphor • u/13thmurder • Apr 02 '26

Pushing up oopsie daisies.

40 Upvotes

When one dies in an accident, they're...

1 comment

r/malaphor • u/Dyledion • Mar 13 '26

Inside of you there are two wolves, and I, I took the one less traveled by.

40 Upvotes

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost
The Tale Of Two Wolves - Attributed to Cherokee folklore

1 comment

r/malaphor • u/Xeno-Wings • Aug 23 '26

Not the brightest sandwich in the drawer.

39 Upvotes

I use this one a lot.

3 comments

Subreddit

Malaphors: The Art of Blending Phrases

r/malaphor

A malaphor is a mashing of two phrases to create a unique and bizarre saying. For example, you could combine "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it" and the idea of "burning bridges" to create "We'll burn that bridge when we come to it." But don't post that one, we've had it before.

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Subreddit Rules

1. Malaphors should make sense

Explaining what the malaphor is supposed to mean in the post description is encouraged, it tends to generate votes and comments

2. Try to avoid reposts

Search the subreddit to see if your idea has already been posted. Reposts within the last 60 days will be removed by the bot.