Is there a word for mangled idiom that becomes commonplace

gedaliyah@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 127 points –

Like "does the Pope shit in the woods?" or "that train has sailed?"

Also, what good examples can you think of?

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How the hell should I know, I’m not a rocket surgeon

Arguably, a mechanic who is literally performing maintenance on exceptionally mechanically dense and complex parts of a rocket, say the rocket engine plumbing or wiring harnesses... is figuratively performing rocket surgery.

Or, taking a different perspective:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1433409/

Management of trauma and emergency surgery in space

As on Earth, the major determinant of emergency surgical care in spaceflight may be the presence or absence of a well-trained surgeon.

Sounds like they need a rocket surgeon!

Now, that one does have its place. I either it in an ironic sense that you dont need multiple degrees to do something. The flip side is that the people we send to space tend to be the most qualified people in multiple fields, a medical surgeon with a stem degree does not sound too far outside the realm of reason.