More Mangled Poirotisms

I’ve been cleaning out my excess reams of notes, trying to slim down the excess piles of organized mess that’s been lying around for months, years now.  They’ve been accumulating to such an excess that I’ve been ritually moving these stacks of papers from my computer desk to my bed, with the intent that I’ll look at them later.  Only, because these stacks of paper are behind me, I never look at them long enough before fatigue overtakes me, and I switch them back, and repeat the Sisyphusean process all over again next morning.

Now, the mess has become something that’s become unavoidable to overlook much longer, and I need some way of jotting these observations down, otherwise they’ll become lost.  Some time ago, I made a blog entry showing several instances of how the French language could be mangled, even by someone competent in verse.

Before I jump ahead to the main course, it would be remiss of me not to include this bit of mangled Christmas song from Farscape:

Hark!  The hee rawld angles seen guh

Glowry to the nude bored keen guh

Peach on Erp and Murky mill ed

Gode and signers reek n silled

And now, the most notable Poirot Malaphors:

• It’s just a turned ankle (twisted ankle)
• The pain already passes (has passed)
• Has he the tenderesse for her? (affection?)
• Your friend’s life has been attempted.  (An attempt on her life.)
• I am desolated (devastated)
• The extreme prudence is what is needed (extreme prejudice)

• If I mistake not (If I’m not mistaken)
• Does not hold the water (Doesn’t hold water)
• Frying his important fish (Has more important fish to fry)
• The fat is in the flames (The fat is in the fire)
• Get off Scottish free (Scott free)

• My train of reasoning (train of thought)
• We have killed both the birds with one shot (2 birds with one stone)
• It may come in useful (come in handy)
• The matter of greatest import (great importance)
• Poirot does not pull the legs (pulling my leg)
• Throws a hammer in the works (wrench in the works)
• Rest calm (calm down)
• What is the use? (What’s the use?)

• I comprehend perfectly (understand perfectly)
• That will not exist for long (last for long)
• Candle grease (Candle wax)
• Keep to myself at the present (Keep to myself for now) or (Not at the present)
• A good grip of the affair (A keen grasp)

• Make great steps (great strides)
• A fall back on (safety cushion)
• The peak of condition (tiptop shape)
• Making the hills out of the mole mounts (mountains out of molehills)
• Wild gooseberry hunt (Wild goose chase)

• Slept like a top (log)
• Not a moment to waste (to lose)
• Head him off the scent (Throw him off the scent)
• Strike while the metal is warm (iron is hot)
• Not keep waiting a lady (keep a lady waiting)
• You are up with the bird (lark)
• Grey cells they grow the rust (getting rusty)
• One grips at the straws (grasps at straws)