WordRefried from 28th September 2012: eggcorn, noun: a word or phrase that is an accidental but similar sounding and curiously logical substitution for a word or phrase that has been misheard or misunderstood. Examples of eggcorns include old wise tale in place of old wives tale, for all intensive purposes in place of for all intents and purposes, upmost instead of utmost and ex-patriot instead of expatriate. The term was coined in 2003 by Geoffrey Pullum, a professor of linguistics, to identify this phenomenon, based on the report of someones example of incorrect and repeated use of the word eggcorn for acorn. Although related to a mondegreen, which is also based on homophony, an eggcorn retains some kind of related meaning whereas a mondegreen results in a very different interpretation. For example, the mishearing of the Jimi Hendrix lyric Excuse me while I kiss the sky as Excuse me while I kiss this guy is a mondegreen, whereas the replacement of Alzheimers disease by old timers disease is an eggcorn. Eggcorns are often systematic and may be repeated into folk etymology. Eggcorns may enter into common use, even displacing the original term. For example, penthouse is ultimately an eggcorn of pentice and has replaced it, as has causeway for causey.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 13:28:04 +0000
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