| mixed metaphor |
| Definition: A thought expressed using several metaphors whose combined sense is illogical. |
| Example: Rising above it all, he grabbed the bull by the horns and swept it under the rug. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The term's first citation is from 1824: "We should avoid making two inconsistent metaphors meet on one object. This is what is called mixed metaphor." (L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. 493) |