Dundrearyism

English
Examples

"Too many chefs in too many pies" (from "too many chefs spoil the broth" and "one finger in too many pies");
"it's like stabbing a hole in the dark" (from "a stab in the dark" and "hole in the dark");
"stop pissing on my thunder" (from "stop stealing my thunder" and "stop pissing on my chips");
"we'll burn that bridge when we get to it" (from "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it" and "don't burn your bridges").

Etymology

Named after Lord Dundreary, a foolish aristocrat in Tom Taylor's play Our American Cousin (1858), who utters remarks of this kind; +‎ -ism.

Noun

Dundrearyism (plural Dundrearyisms)

  1. A twisted and consequentially nonsensical aphorism, such as "birds of a feather gather no moss".

Synonyms
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