The use within one sentence or paragraph of two or more metaphors, each of which is contradictory to, or incompatible with, the other. See also FIGURE OF SPEECH METAPHOR

a combination of two or more metaphors that together produce a ridiculous effect

A construction that confuses two or more metaphors: He was playing with fire and got in over his head.

a metaphor in which the parts of the comparison don't match

(²VÂøÁô³ë): Changed or contradictory metaphors in the same discourse:, e.g. The population explosion has paved the way for new intellectual growth. Mixed metaphors are considered a sign of poor writing in English, but not necessarily in Chinese. The lines: ¸ÀÅܪº­y¸ñ and ¹¡¨ü°§3/4jªº§é¿i are acceptable Chinese; a literal translation of them into English would not be.

Using together metaphors that don't match and end up sounding stupid. For example: He's a dark horse and he can paddle his own canoe.

Getting two common metaphors mixed up to form a new, but not necessarily correct, metaphor.

Figure of speech which combines two or more inconsistent metaphors e.g. 'We're not through the woods by a long chalk.' Or more famously the fourth line from Hamlet's soliloquy: 'Or to take arms against a sea of troubles.' See metaphor.