Does anyone know the meaning, or spelling, of the supposed word MONDEGREEN. I believe it means a mispronunciation of lyrics in a song that, by the perpetuation of an urban myth principle, become into use in the common vernacular. It is better shown by example. A Jimi Hendrix song has a line "...while I kiss the sky" and it was usually taken as "while I kiss this guy". If any one has any info or alternate spelling I would like to know.

I am going to use this post as my bully pulpit for the religion of YCLIU. had you used http://OneLook.com to LIU, you would have found the following (hot) links:

http://www.plexoft.com/SBF/M04.html#mondegreen

and(!)
http://wordsmith.org/awad/archives/1299

and(!!)

http://members.aol.com/tsuwm/mno.htm#mondegreen

and had you searched the web with http://google.com, you would have found 659 hits for mondegreen, the second of which is:

http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/carroll/mondegreens.shtml

and the nth of which is:

http://members.aol.com/tsuwm


why do I continue to rant and rail about this? what I'm getting at is that by just asking the question here you're likely to miss out on some really interesting stuff that's been said on the subject, in far greater detail (the wwftd site notwithstanding)!

Yes, tsuwm, but if Augusta had done what you suggest, then I (and other plebs like me, he says hopefully) would not have learnt a fascinating new word, and I would have missed out on 15 minutes of chuckling over some of Jon Carroll's examples of mondegreens. It lit up my day/week/life. Surely that's part of what this forum is all about? So, thanks Augusta for the question, and tsuwm for the answer.

Pop songs and national anthems appear to be common mondegreen sources. I'm sure I've been guilty of plenty from the former, but none come to mind immediately. I do however have a vivid recollection of my surprise when I discovered that the English (and formerly our) national anthem contained the words "send her victorious", and not, as I sang daily as a schoolkid, a curious reference to "Centre Victoria", the state which I inhabit.

if you find any more sites that have you chuckling for 15 minutes, be sure and let us know!

Yes, tsuwm, but if Augusta had done what you suggest, then I (and other plebs like me, he says hopefully) would not have learnt a fascinating new word, and I would have missed out on 15 minutes of chuckling over some of Jon Carroll's examples of mondegreens. It lit up my day/week/life. Surely that's part of what this forum is all about? So, thanks Augusta for the question, and tsuwm for the answer.

hear hear!!

"send her victorious",

This one used to puzzle me as well, Marty. At the age of five, I had just discovered that the delicious fruits that appear on the trees in late September are known as Victoria Plums, so I wondered why King George VI needed despatches of this fruit from his grateful subjects when, surely, he had scads of them on the trees that I had seen at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.


I also used to hear "Poetry in motiom . . " as "Like a tree in motion . . " - which almost made sense!

I used to hear, as a child, about this fabulous faraway country called Vorientar, whose fabulous wealth could only be guessed at by its production of precious metals and the fact that it had not one but three kings!

I also like the story - which may or may not be apocryphal - of the vicar's children who held a burial service for their deceased budgie, committing it to the earth with the words, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and into the hole he goes."

I also like the fact that our revered spell checker dislikes "vicar's" and offers me "vice"

> into the hole he goes

Hilary that's lovely - if it was apocryphal before it deserves to be true by now!

I chuckle as an adult every time I see a fish symbol as a bumper sticker showing religious affiliation - not out of disrespect to the faith, but because as a child we puzzled over a strange fish: the piece of cod which passeth all understanding

: the piece of cod which passeth all understanding

Oh, that's GREAT, mav! I think another thread brought up
Round John Virgin.

Continuing the religious theme that Mondegreen seems to have taken, I am reminded of the tale of the child who was given a Teddy Bear, both of whose eyes looked toward his nose. She loved this animal dearly (as one does) and named it "Gladly" after the hymn she had learned that week - "Gladly my cross I'd bear."

Gladly my cross I'd bear.

Hmmm. I thought it was "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear."

Along these lines, I have a friend who is an avid ice hockey fan. For you non-North Americans, ice hockey is a supposed sport that is really an excuse for grown men 9and women) to go out on skates and beat the living hell out of one another. Cf. "rugby".

Anyway, Art entered my name and my son's name into a drawing for a father-son dinner with Patrick Roy, the Avalanche goal-keeper. I was hoping to win, because the dinner would truly be a meeting of the Father, the Son, and the Goalie Host.

Along these lines, I have a friend who is an avid ice hockey fan. For you non-North Americans, ice hockey is a supposed sport that is really an excuse for grown men 9and women) to go out on skates and beat the living hell out of one another. Cf. "rugby"

As the world's most complete non-sportsman, I felt compelled to speak up in defence of ice hockey. While the few NHL games I've seen broadcast here in NZ fit your description, there is a real sport lurking under the thuggery, and when played well, as by some teams at Winter Olympics, it can be a thing of real grace and beauty, as can NZ's national sport, the other victim of your crude generalisation. Also, as an interesting aside, Coca-cola runs an ad in NZ showing rugby being played on an ice hockey rink.
On the matter of words, am I correct in thinking that ice hockey uses the term "goaltender" rather than "goalkeeper"?

more often, you'll find the 'goalie' to be featured 'in goal'...

more often, you'll find the 'goalie' to be featured 'in goal'...

Thanks, tsuwm. While I was aware that ice hockey and and soccer use the same abbreviation for the member of the team responsible for guarding the goal, I was not sure what the full designation was. It's "goalkeeper" in soccer, which I am much more familiar with.

I felt compelled to speak up in defence of ice hockey.- - - it can be a thing of real grace and beauty

I quite agree. I used to watch it played at Wembley Ice rink, and occasionally at Richmond when I were a lad, always wishing that I could skate as well and as fast as that.

As I could only afford a second hand pair of figure skates, that was not likely to ever happen, but I still loved the speed and accuracy - and the spills as well, of course.

the Father, the Son, and the Goalie Host

Ted, I am so glad you're back!