mixed metaphor

noun

the use in the same expression of two or more metaphors that are incongruous or illogical when combined, as in “The president will put the ship of state on its feet.”

Origin of mixed metaphor

First recorded in 1790–1800

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British Dictionary definitions for mixed metaphor

mixed metaphor

noun

a combination of incongruous metaphors, as when the Nazi jackboots sing their swan song

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012