3. Self-consciousness and Mixed Metaphor.

The gentlemen of the Press regularly devote a small percentage of
their time to accusing each other of mixing metaphors or announcing
that they are themselves about to do so (What a mixture of metaphors!
If we may mix our metaphors. To change the metaphor), the offence
apparently being not to mix them, but to be unaware that you have done
it. The odd thing is that, whether he is on the offensive or the
defensive, the writer who ventures to talk of mixing metaphors often
shows that he does not know what mixed metaphor is. Two typical
examples of the offensive follow:

_The _Scotsman_ says: 'The crowded benches of the Ministerialists
contain the germs of disintegration. A more ill-assorted majority
could hardly be conceived, and presently the Opposition must realize
of what small account is the manoeuvring of the Free-Fooders or of any
other section of the party. If the sling be only properly handled, the
new Parliamentary Goliath will be overthrown easily enough. The stone
for the sling must, however, be found on the Ministerial side of the
House, and not on the Opposition side.' Apparently the stone for the
sling will be a germ. But doubtless mixed feelings lead to mixed
metaphors._ In this passage, we are well rid of the germs before we
hear of the sling, and the mixture of metaphors is quite imaginary.

Since literal benches often contain literal germs, but 'crowded
benches' and 'germs of disintegration' are here separate metaphors for
a numerous party and tendencies to disunion, our critic had ready to
his hand in the first sentence, if he had but known it, something much
more like a mixture of metaphors than what he mistakes for one.