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.”

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orchard
body of land completely surrounded by water
group of cultivated fruit trees
long mournful cry
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Origin of mixed metaphor

First recorded in 1790–1800

Words nearby mixed metaphor

mixed language, mixed layer, mixed lymphocyte culture test, mixed marriage, mixed media, mixed metaphor, mixed nerve, mixed number, mixed paralysis, mixed tumor, mixed-flow turbine
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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