Mixed Metaphors Explained: 8 Examples of Mixed Metaphors

A metaphor (from the Greek “metaphorá”) is a figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another for rhetorical effect. While the most common metaphors use the structure “X is Y,” the term “metaphor” itself is broad and can sometimes be used to include other literary terms, like similes. Metaphors provide literary descriptions, can serve as figures of speech, and sometimes end up as tropes, idioms, and cliches.

Consider some common examples of figurative language used in a sentence.

1. 1. “Time flies when we’re having fun.”
2. 2. “I'm drowning in a sea of subscriptions.”
3. 3. “Now they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
4. 4. “He's all bark and no bite.”
5. 5. “He was always the black sheep of the family.”
6. 6. “If last week's crisis was a rainstorm, this one is a hurricane.”

A mixed metaphor is a figure of speech in which the speaker or writer combines two different metaphors that are incompatible. All metaphors should be accepted for their figurative meaning rather than their literal meaning, but mixed metaphors make this difficult by offering inconsistent imagery and ludicrous comparisons that strain the boundaries of linguistics. The use of mixed metaphors can derail a piece of otherwise strong writing.

To create an example of a mixed metaphor, simply cut and paste sections of two incompatible metaphors. Consider some ways mixed metaphors can pop up to ridiculous effect.

1. 1. We were flying through a sea of success.
2. 2. He seemed scary, but he was all bark with no place to go.
3. 3. The substitute teacher screamed her hair out, but the kids wouldn't listen.
4. 4. When the going gets tough, the early bird gets the worm.
5. 5. Too many cooks break the camel's back.
6. 6. This is hardly rocket surgery.
7. 7. A rolling stone gathers a rock and a hard place.
8. 8. I'll be here 'til the cows come home to roost.

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