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mixed metaphor

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A rhetorical error or deliberate device combining incongruous metaphors (e.g., “grasping at straws while sailing through fog”), often for comic or jarring effect.

Detailed Definition
A mixed metaphor arises when two or more incompatible figurative comparisons are fused illogically within a single expression—such as “grasping at straws while sailing close to the wind”—often producing confusion or unintentional humor unless used self-consciously for ironic or surreal effect.
Example
Example in poetry:
'The politician’s argument was a slippery slope paved with good intentions' (A slope is a physical feature; paving is an action; slippery slope and paved with good intentions are two separate, distinct clichés); 'Her tears were a river that tasted of the bitter pill of regret' (Mixing the visual/metaphysical river with the physical sensation of tasting a pill); 'He was a tower of strength, a beacon in the storm, but his feet were made of clay' (Mixing 'tower of strength' and 'feet of clay'); 'The project is dead in the water, a sinking ship that has passed the point of no return' (Sinking ship and point of no return are separate metaphors).
Additional Notes
mixed metaphor: The combination of two or more incompatible metaphors in a single expression, resulting in a confusing or nonsensical image (e.g., "The ship of state is now a runaway train"); often unintentional, but can be used for comedic or surreal effect.
Also Known As
Confused metaphor tangled metaphor mixed figures Catachresis Trope blending
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