History Main / MixedMetaphor

* The narrator to ''[[FanFic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed Equestria: A History Revealed]]'' directly lampshades the fact that she often mixes up her metaphors.
* {{Fanfic/Hivefled}}: Nepeta gives us the memorable "don’t be such sticks in the mud after the rain on the parade." Rose actually tells her it's a terrible habit, but in Nepeta's defence, she is an alien without much grasp on human culture.

* Philippa Gordon from the ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' series does this in ''Anne of the Island'', in a letter to Anne:
-->I have a huge pile of letters to answer, so I must gird up the loins of my mind and hoe in.
** Of course, this being Creator/LMMontgomery, Phil promptly {{lampshade|Hanging}}s her error in the next sentences:

-->'''Jim Hacker''': And then the balloon goes up.
-->'''Sir Desmond''': Obviously.

* In the novels for ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', Gourry mixed three metaphors together, one of which was a bit of an anachronism.

* The ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' art book ''Eve'' has this to say about Asuka (in Japanese using SurprisinglyGoodEnglish (mixed)metaphors). "Asuka's pride is a double-edged SwordOfDamocles". Which actually sums things up pretty well.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld'', there's this classic courtesy of Mama Luigi:

* In ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld'', there's [[MemeticMutation this]] [[WebAnimation/YouTubePoop classic]] courtesy of Mama Luigi:

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** This exchange between a thug and The Penguin:

* Franchise/{{Tintin}}: In ''[[Recap/TintinExplorersOnTheMoon Explorers On The Moon]]'', Thompson and Thomson are walking around the surface of the Moon when they have this exchange:

* ''Film/AustinPowers'' film: "But unfortunately for yours truly, that train had sailed."

* In TheMovie of ''Film/MasterAndCommander'', the entire final battle hinges on a tactical maneuver Captain Aubrey derives by completely mangling the notion of an insect that disguises itself as a stick to evade predators.

* Biff Tannen from the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy: "Make like a tree, and get out of here."
** Ironically, it was the 2015 Biff that corrects him, saying, "It's ''leave'', you idiot! "Make like a tree and ''leave''." You sound like a damn fool when you say that wrong."
*** And BUFORD. Honestly:

-->'''Doc:''' Why don't you make like a tree and get the fuck out of here!

** Interestingly, early on in the film's production, it was intended that this be Jiminy's main shtick. For example, he describes Honest John the Fox and Gideon the Cat as "a couple of ill winds in cheap clothing". In the final film, only the above line is spoken, and in its context, he says it in a state of anger and frustration.

-->Excuse my mixed metaphors. I'm fearfully sleepy.

** Later, someone mentions the old "Catch 42". Obviously a mix of [[Literature/CatchTwentyTwo Catch-22]] and [[Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy the Ultimate Answer]]. Except the new saying goes "the meaning of life is that, in the end, you always get screwed".

-->'''Gene''': Look, when a big shark dissapears from the scene, smaller fish want to climb the ladder.

* In ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', when George's coworkers find out that he's been [[ObfuscatingDisability faking a disability]], but he has a one-year contract and refuses to resign:

* At one point in ''Series/ILoveLucy'', Ethel came over and accidentally blabbed some info to Ricky that Lucy didn't want her telling. Lucy was upset, but Ricky welcomed Ethel to come over at any time and "spill the beans out of the cat-bag." Lucy then had to correct him saying that it was either "spill the beans" or "let the cat out of the bag." Justified here since English isn't Ricky's first language.

* In an episode of ''Unnatural Acts'', Jeremy takes various mixed medicines, [[LemonWackyHello with predictably spaced-out results.]] His speech pattern changes to reflect this, with mixed metaphors being one of the symptoms.

* Mae Martin, as a lesbian in a relationship, often finds herself asked "which one of you is the man". She [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-2KKHOXnY4#t=419 compares this]] to asking a vegetarian "which part of your salad is the pork chop" and decides the answer is "every vegetable wears a strap-on".

* ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'': About the only way to describe Dimitri's speech habits. Although at times its hard to tell what the original metaphors were, they're so badly mangled.

* {{Lampshaded}} in the ''WebVideo/ContraPoints'' video "Canceling", where Natalie Wynne discusses the risks of relying on emotional support from strangers online and ends up using the expressions "sink or swim" and "trial by fire" in the same sentence:

-->'''Homer:''' They ran away like schoolgirls with their tails between their legs!