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Posted By: sanA eggcorn - 02/21/13 08:51 AM
One of my students wrote, "I was born from my mother's wound."
One says his major is auto motives.

I also have a friend who speaks of burglers who ramshacked the room
Someone makes a halfhazard attempt.
Posted By: Engelsepiet Re: eggcorn - 02/21/13 09:27 AM
Eggcorn? Surely this is a mondegreen.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondegreen
Posted By: MikeW Re: eggcorn - 02/21/13 09:59 AM
Aha, I finally have a word for it! Hope I don't get my knuckles rapped here for being too crude, but now I realize it's multiple "eggcorns" that I have in the description of my favorite imaginary opera, "The Battered Bride", by the Check composer, Smegma. (Not contemplating bruises and spousal abuse here, but immersion in a tasty mixture of flour and beer as part of some traditional Bavarian nuptial practice :-)

Mike
Posted By: Athena Re: eggcorn - 02/21/13 11:32 AM
Never knew there was a term for 'Oldtimer's' disease, in lieu of Alzheimer's. An eggcorn I frequently encounter as a physician.
Posted By: Windischgirl Re: eggcorn - 02/21/13 12:07 PM
Since English is not his first language, my father is susceptible to unintentionally expressing himself in eggcorns.

My favorite is "Migraine Workers:" you know, those undocumented immigrants who pick crops.

I'm guessing there are more than a few politicians who would embrace my dad's phrasing.
Posted By: Faldage Re: eggcorn - 02/21/13 12:08 PM
Originally Posted By: Engelsepiet
Eggcorn? Surely this is a mondegreen.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondegreen


They are related. This Language Log post discusses the difference, also bringing in the other related term folk etymology.
Posted By: drewl512 Re: eggcorn - 02/21/13 12:12 PM
A friend of mine used to grade high school entrance essays and one of her favorites was when a writer spoke of his or her "self of steam". Another that I have often heard spoken by children at the beach is: "Don't get caught by the Under Toad!"
Posted By: LukeJavan8 Re: eggcorn - 02/21/13 04:17 PM
Welcome to you new posters: it's great having you.
Posted By: Faldage Re: eggcorn - 02/22/13 12:37 AM
The Under Toad was a thing from The World According to Garp.
Posted By: DAVE1 Re: eggcorn - 02/24/13 01:50 AM
At a Stevie Nicks concert I was at in 2011, Stevie was telling the story of how she asked Tom Petty's wife how old she was when she met Tom Petty. Petty's wife replied "At the age of 17." Stevie heard it as "edge" not"age," and that's how the song "Edge of 17" came to be, at least according to Stevie Nicks herself. That would be an eggcorn.
Posted By: LukeJavan8 Re: eggcorn - 02/24/13 04:50 PM
Interesting.
Posted By: Jackie Re: eggcorn - 05/13/13 01:25 PM
Okay--this is something I've not come across before, and I can see only one thing to do.

Keira--commercial postings,such as your link, are not allowed here.

Normally I would simply delete the link from your (or any) post while leaving the writer's thoughts, but in this case when I tried to Edit, the link didn't show up. So I am going to re-post your writing, then delete your entire original post. If you or anyone has a better solution, please post it here.

Jackie

KEIRA'S POST: A buddy used to quality secondary school entry articles and one of her most favorite was when a author talked of his or her "self of steam".
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: eggcorn - 05/13/13 01:53 PM
(Kiera's link is in his/her signature. You will have to change it in their[sic] profile.)
Posted By: tsuwm Re: eggcorn - 05/13/13 03:00 PM
huh. I saw the link, but I usually don't see signatures.

this software truly is weird, but I guess it's meant to be used 'commercially', and you dasn't fool with mother merchant.

note to J: Anu was notified, and I bet he would have removed this person forthwith. (have they[sic] posted anything worth saving? I'm just askin'..)
Posted By: zmjezhd Re: sic distemper peever - 05/13/13 03:14 PM
Why all the sics? Singular (non-gender-specific) they has been in use continuously for about 600 years. Chaucer, Shakespeare, the King James Bible, Austen, et alia have all used it. Nothing new and certainly nothing wrong grammatically.
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: sic distemper peever - 05/13/13 04:04 PM
I was just trying to appease the prescrips... I use it meownself all the time.
Posted By: tsuwm Re: sic distemper peever - 05/13/13 04:23 PM
..and I was just being moronic.

but, this sort of usage does bother me:

"I cannot pretend to be sorry ... that he [Darcy] or that any man should not be estimated beyond their deserts; but with him I believe it does not often happen." [Jane Austen, EA]
Posted By: zmjezhd Re: no surrender - 05/13/13 04:24 PM
I was just trying to appease the prescrips...

Yes, I figured, but I did not want the impressionable (young or old) to think this zombie "rule" was correct.

John McIntyre, who is an editor at the Baltimore Sun, has this to say about throwing sops to peeving Cerebuses.
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: no surrender - 05/14/13 12:05 AM
I like. thanks for the link.
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