catacomb

catastrophe

catalog

cataclysmic

catalepsy

catabolism

catachresis catacomb

catastrophe

catalog

cataclysmic

catalepsy

catabolism

catachresis

An abusion is an act of misuse or abuse, of violation of law or improper behaviour, or of catachresis - the improper use of a word in a given context.

I think you may be refering to one of these: Catachresis, as in Shakespeare's "I will speak daggers to her." Synecdoche, as in "wheels" for car Metonymy, as in "can't fight city hall" You may want to consult A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices at http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm

It's typically a malapropism that is used to add a wry wrinkle to the speaker's overt disinclination to use either of the clichéd metaphors "horse of a different color" or "bird of a different feather."

Also technically a catachresis used either wittingly or not to convey the speaker's opinion that something doesn't quite fit the norm of an object of its type.