When you were at school you were probably taught that it was important to never split an infinitive. Ending a sentence with a preposition was frowned on. And you must never start a sentence with a preposition.

Since then, many now feel that those 'rules' were incorrect. I wonder, does anybody feel the same about the rule that says that you shouldn't mix metaphors? I noticed a particularly astonishing one the other day that I'm pretty sure wasn't deliberate, just the speaker didn't think properly about what he was saying.

I can't remember the exact quote, but it was along the lines of "There were a few rotten apples who caused the rest to be tarred with the same brush."

Any other good/bad mixed metaphors?

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?

> mixed metaphors

In the press, about how to prod Saudi Arabia towards a more democratic government:

we can turn up the volume of our public diplomacy, to spotlight the plight of pro-democracy activists.

This could be fun!

quote:

I wonder, does anybody feel the same about the rule that says that you shouldn't mix metaphors?

I don't feel the same way. Many of the grammatical rules are arbitrary. Surely we all know what is meant when a sentence ends with a preposition. However, with mixed metaphors, the original meaning is changed.

Here are a few from the Web. I liked, "It's not rocket surgery" and "You're pulling the leg over my eyes."

Listen to what I'm showing you! Don't you see what I'm saying? Two in the bush is always better than a rolling stone! I'm feeling fit as a fiddle and ready to fry!