Eggcorn
An eggcorn is the alteration of a phrase through the mishearing or reinterpretation of one or more of its elements,[1] creating a new phrase having a different meaning from the original but which still makes sense and is plausible when used in the same context.[2] The autological word "eggcorn" is itself an eggcorn, derived from acorn. Eggcorns often arise as people attempt to make sense of a stock phrase that uses a term unfamiliar to them,[3] as for example replacing "Alzheimer's disease" with "old-timers' disease",[2] or William Shakespeare's "to the manner born" with "to the manor born".[1]
Language change
Eggcorns arise when people attempt to use analogy and logic to make sense of an expression – often a stock one – that includes a term which is not meaningful to them.[3] For example, the stock expression "in one fell swoop" might be replaced by "in one foul swoop", the infrequently-used adjective "fell" (for "fierce", "cruel", or "terrible"[4]) being replaced with the more common word "foul" in order to convey the cruel/underhand meaning of the phrase as the speaker understands it.[3]
Eggcorns are of interest to linguists as they not only show language changing in real time, but can also shed light on how and why the change occurs.[3]
Etymology
The term egg corn (later contracted into one word, eggcorn) was coined by professor of linguistics
Examples
- "baited breath" for "bated breath"[3][7][8]
- "beckon call" for "beck and call"[9]
- "damp squid" for "damp squib"[10]
- "ex-patriot" for "expatriate"[11]
- "the feeble position" for "the fetal position"[12]
- "for all intensive purposes" for "for all intents and purposes"[13]
- "free reign" for "free rein"[14]
- "in one foul swoop" for "in one fell swoop"[3]
- "jar-dropping" for "jaw-dropping"[12]
- "just desserts" for "just deserts"[15]
- "old-timers' disease" for "Alzheimer's disease"[2][12]
- "old wise tale" for "old wives' tale"[16]
- "on the spurt of the moment" for "on the spur of the moment"[17]
- "preying mantis" for "praying mantis"[3]
- "real trooper" for "real trouper"[18]
- "ripe with..." for "rife with..."[7]
- "scandally clad" for "scantily clad"[19]
- "to the manor born" for "to the manner born"[1]
- "wet your appetite" for "whet your appetite"[20]
Similar phenomena
Eggcorns are similar to but distinct from several other linguistic expressions:[21]
- Where a folk etymology is a change in the form of a word caused by widespread misunderstanding of the word's etymology, an eggcorn may be limited to one person rather than being used generally within a speech community.[6][3]
- A malapropism generally derives its effect from a comic misunderstanding of the user, often creating a nonsensical phrase; an eggcorn on the other hand is a substitution that exhibits creativity or logic.[17]
- A mondegreen is a misinterpretation of a word or phrase, often within the lyrics of a specific song or other type of performance, and need not make sense within that context.[22] An eggcorn must still retain something of the original meaning,[22] as the speaker understands it, and may be a replacement for a poorly understood phrase rather than a mishearing.
- In a pun, the speaker or writer intentionally creates a humorous effect, whereas an eggcorn may be used or created by someone who is unaware that the expression is non-standard.[23]
Where the spoken form of an eggcorn sounds the same as the original, it becomes a type of homophone.
References
- ^ a b c "eggcorn". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 24 May 2022. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.), sense 2
- ^ ISBN 978-0-547-04101-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-923906-1.
- ^ [1] 'fell', adjective, at Mirriam-Webster dictionary
- ^ Erard, Michael (June 20, 2006). "Analyzing Eggcorns and Snowclones, and Challenging Strunk and White". The New York Times. p. 4. Archived from the original on 2006-08-13. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
- ^ a b Liberman, Mark (September 23, 2003). "Egg corns: folk etymology, malapropism, mondegreen, ???". Language Log. Archived from the original on 2004-04-04.
- ^ a b Wallraff, Barbara (2006-09-01). "Word Court". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ Staff (2006-08-26). "The word: Eggcorns". New Scientist. p. 52. Archived from the original on 2007-03-22. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
- ^ "Beckon call". Grammarist. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ "'Review: Don't be a Damp Squid'". Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Anu Garg (February 21, 2013). "eggcorn". A Word A Day. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b c McG, Ross. "A damp squid, for all intensive purposes: 14 'eggcorns' to make you laugh". www.metro.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ "'For All Intensive Purposes': An Eggcorn". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "'Free Rein' or 'Free Reign'?". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "'Just Deserts' or 'Just Desserts'?". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ "Old wives' tale vs old wise tale". Grammarist. 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ a b Peters, Mark (March–April 2006). "Word Watch: The Eggcorn – Lend Me Your Ear". Psychology Today. 39 (2): 18. Archived from the original on 2006-07-09. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
- ^ "This Is What 'Eggcorns' Are (and Why They're Jar-Droppingly Good". www.time.com. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ Fozzard, Anna (2017-06-09). "Eggcorns and other cute things children say". Stratton Craig Copywriting Agency. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ "Whet one's appetite vs wet one's appetite". Grammarist. 2016-03-20. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- Pullum, Geoffrey K (October 27, 2003). "Phrases for lazy writers in kit form". Language Log. Archivedfrom the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
- ^ a b Marko Ticak (24 Nov 2016). "Humanity's Best Eggcorn Examples". grammarly blog.
- ^ Zwicky, Arnold (2 Nov 2003). "LADY MONDEGREEN SAYS HER PEACE ABOUT EGG CORNS". Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
Further reading
- Diamond, Graeme (September 2010). "September 2010 new words". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
- Freeman, Jan (2010-09-26). "So wrong it's right". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- Harbeck, James. (2010-06-02) "My Veil of Tears" Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- Liberman, Mark, and Geoffrey K. Pullum. (2006) Far from the Madding Gerund and Other Dispatches from Language Log. Wilsonville, OR: William, James & Co.
- Liberman, Mark. (2003-09-23) "Egg corns: folk etymology, malapropism, mondegreen, ???" Language Log (weblog) Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- Peters, Mark. (2006-08-09) "Like a Bowl in a China Shop." The Chronicle of Higher Education: Chronicle Careers. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- Katy Steinmetz (30 May 2015). "This Is What 'Eggcorns' Are (and Why They're Jar-Droppingly Good)". Time. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.