Eggcorns

[scw1217]

This website both fascinates me and drives me crazy. They are examples of the very things that I hear here in the south that drive me mad.

As an introduction, an "eggcorn" is a term applied to those turns of phrase in the English language that began as mistakes and have become more mainstream. Eggcorn itself comes from a constant mispronunciation of "acorn".

For example "to name a view" instead of "to name a few", "towed the line" instead of "toed the line", and (this one I have heard locally) "bobwire" instead of "barbed wire". This website contains both the definition of the individual eggcorns, a history of where it came from, and citations of it in print.

My question for you is, at one point do we just say, "WRONG!" (which is my inclination) instead of accepting the changes!

http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/

[Dr. Goodword]

Funny you should mention them: There is no better place than here to learn about eggcorns, in fact:
http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=33

[scw1217]

Funny you should mention them: There is no better place than here to learn about eggcorns, in fact:
http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=33

Yes, well, nevermind that I missed that whole article, good Dr., they still drive me nuts!

[skinem]

Hmmmm..mispronunciation of acorn, eh?

Around here, you have an indication of where someone is from by whether they say "a-corn" or "a-crn"...

[txmusicgirl]

Hmmmm..mispronunciation of acorn, eh?

Around here, you have an indication of where someone is from by whether they say "a-corn" or "a-crn"...

I'm inclined to the latter "a-crn" I use the least number of letters when im talkin