Contribute!
It would be particularly satisfying if The Eggcorn Database became, little by little, a collaborative tool.
There are several ways for you to help improve or support it, to contribute your knowledge, insight, discoveries or resources:
- Drop off your eggcorns in the Eggcorn Forum. You have captured an eggcorn in the wild? Excellent! Mind you, check that it is the right species of animal. Ask yourself whether the non-standard spelling that caught your attention indicates a reinterpretation of the meaning of (part of) the original expression. If so, in the database it goes. But if you are unsure, the forum is the right place to discuss whether your find is an eggcorn or not. The posts referenced on the About page might also be helpful.
- Commentaries on individual entries are, of course, welcome. Unlike the forum, however, the comment area is not a discussion space: It is a place to add data to an existing entry. If you wish to post whimsical observations or questions, or something that is not closely related to a particular entry, please do so in the Eggcorn Forum.
If you are committed to the eggcorn quest and have a taste for adventure, you can register and post draft entries of your own. These will be found and edited by the more experienced contributors. Eventually your submission will appear under your name. Once you have shown that you produce high-quality entries, we will give you full poster status.
Posting directly into the database is not quite as simple as leaving a comment or participating on the forum. The posting back-end is not particularly user-friendly and still needs a lot of work. I consider this project as work in progress (thus the “alpha” version label on the main page), and will add features and improvements as I figure out the needs and get more familiar with coding in PHP. If you wish to familiarize yourself with the process, you can read the Posting HOWTO.
If you appreciate this site and the effort that has gone into creating and maintaining it, a supportive e-mail to eggcorns@lascribe.net is always welcome. Or, in case you can spare a dollar (pound, euro) or two towards hosting fees and bandwidth, I will gratefully accept a donation. The Eggcorn Database is a purely personal endeavor and is not supported by any institution or commercial entity whatsoever.
Happy eggcorn-hunting,
Chris Waigl
(eggcorns@lascribe.net)
**NEW, 2005/10/25!** Changes are afoot at the Eggcorn Database. There is now a forum, with its own space for your contributions and submissions.
While I upgrade the software and work out some problems with the server, I have disabled commenting on the static pages, i.e. those that aren’t part of the eggcorn collection. The existing comments will reappear as soon as I have worked out a persistent bug with the comment display. This page has over 700 comments — some part of the code is choking on them at the moment.
Furthermore, I have disabled direct posting access to the Eggcorn Database for newly registered users. Several of us — Arnold Zwicky, Ben Zimmer, and several occasional contributors in addition to myself — have converged to what could be called a minimum standard of quality for entries. Our own early posts haven’t always conformed to it, and I have edited and improved quite a number of them. More importantly, we seem to agree reasonably well on what exactly an eggcorn is, and what kind of common word substitutions and lexical errors aren’t really of the type we are looking for. The new forum should make it easier to further refine the definition and to bring new posters up to speed.
1
Commentary by CA McGee , 2005/02/15 at 3:09 pm
Noticed the other day someone using “what spurned” in place of “what spawned” in the comments of a blog and did a Google search on it and sure enough, there were plenty of folks repeating the same error.
Google link
2
Commentary by David Vinson , 2005/02/15 at 5:35 pm
Here’s one that I just stumbled across:
“In this day and age”»”In this day in age”
(~660K Google hits vs. ~10,600).
3
Commentary by J Glauner , 2005/02/15 at 5:41 pm
I have a coworker who consistently uses the phrase, “beings we…” The context is usually something like this: We have a program written to solve a problem, so we’re going to simplify a bigger problem so that it fits the scope of the program we’ve already written. This person will say something along the lines of, “Well, beings we’ve already written THAT program, can we just massage this data to fit it?”
I assume it’s a combination of misuse of “being” where it should have been “seeing” combined with a lack of an apostrophe that would make it “being as…” instead of “seeing as…”? This person writes this in e-mails.
4
Commentary by chris waigl , 2005/02/15 at 5:52 pm
New eggcorns are already coming, in — thanks a lot!
Spawned>spurned is a classic example (new to me, though). I’ll research it a little and add it as soon as I get to it.
Beings is an interesting and strange one. Definitely needs looking into. I suspect a blend with that being and other expressions.
David Vinson’s and>in belongs to a larger class that I have held back for the moment: eggcorns that turn preposistions/conjunctions (and sometimes adverbs and derterminers) into each other. I’ll start adding those as soon as it is clear how to classify them.
5
Commentary by Suzanne , 2005/02/15 at 6:02 pm
New eggcorn: Phase/Faze
Mary was not
phasedfazed by the final exam.Definitions (taken from Merriam-Webster Online):
PHASE: 1. to adjust so as to be in a synchronized condition 2 : to conduct or carry out by planned phases 3 : to introduce in stages — often used with in (phase in new models)
FAZE: to disturb the composure of : DISCONCERT, DAUNT (nothing fazed her)
Hope this helps your database!
6
Commentary by Suzanne , 2005/02/15 at 6:06 pm
Sorry for the double post, but I have a second eggcorn observed on CNN.com regarding comets:
Astronomers have pieced together what appears to be the first direct evidence that solar storms can
reekwreak havoc with comets, destroying the ion tails of icy wanderers in a collision of highly charged particles.I see this one all the time. It’s plain wrong.
REEK: 1 : to emit smoke or vapor 2 a : to give off or become permeated with a strong or offensive odor b : to give a strong impression of some constituent quality or feature
WREAK: 2 : to give free play or course to (malevolent feeling) 3 : BRING ABOUT, CAUSE
7
Commentary by Ben Zimmer , 2005/02/15 at 6:11 pm
Here are some and/in confusions noted on Paul Brians’ “Common Errors in English” site:
and -> in
by in large
one in the same
part in parcel
in -> and
once and a while
tongue and cheek
case and point
(I’ve also seen this inverted as “point and case”)
Larry Horn notes some others here
8
Commentary by Samuel Ethan Fox , 2005/02/15 at 6:40 pm
One very common misunderstanding is in the phrase “He’s a real trouper” where the original reference was to an actor who can be relied on to perform in any circumstance. This is often taken to be “He’s a real trooper”, a hardy soldier.
9
Commentary by Andrew Simmonds , 2005/02/15 at 6:46 pm
One I’ve seen a fair bit that doesn’t seem to be in the list yet: “no stings attached”. Google has 14,000-odd hits, some of which are obviously intentional puns (there appears to be an album of this name), but others seem to be genuine eggcorns - “it’s just three free issues, no stings attached”, “I am a 23 year old male living in the Dundee area. I am looking for no stings attached fun…”
10
Commentary by david toccafondi , 2005/02/15 at 6:59 pm
drug addict >> drug attic
I’ve heard people say this for years, but only recently started noticing it in print:
“many people have experienced one of their peers whose mother was a drug attic”
I’m not a drug attic..i just need a puff
11
Commentary by rich lafferty , 2005/02/15 at 7:08 pm
paprika » pepperika
Overheard this one in the elevator (in a conversation where everyone else was subtly trying to correct the person using it, to no avail). In parallel with “pepper”, since both are seasonings.
Citations: [1], [2], [3].
12
Commentary by Lane , 2005/02/15 at 8:14 pm
A friend, Brendan G, e-mailed me “death throws”. It’s kind of like you’re being thrown into the big sleep, see? And google has about 1/10th as many “death throws” as “death throes”, a pretty significant prevalence.
13
Commentary by Philip Newton , 2005/02/15 at 8:15 pm
“battened down the hatches” > “battered down the hatches”.
14
Commentary by J Glauner , 2005/02/15 at 8:35 pm
Perhaps not incredibly common is the “wont”>>”want” substitution. “I awoke at 6:30 as is my wont.” vs. “I awoke at 6:30 as is my want.”
15
Commentary by Ben Zimmer , 2005/02/15 at 8:40 pm
What about well-circulated pseudo-mistakes like “old-timer’s disease” and “carpool tunnel syndrome”? (See Language Hat.) Most often these are used just for humorous effect, but occasionally they may be genuine eggcorns.
16
Commentary by chris waigl , 2005/02/15 at 9:07 pm
Re: #15, Ben Zimmer: Maybe we need a category for “obsolescent eggcorns”. I imagine both used to be more common, when their frequency in the press was lower. In general, I have found substitutions that are very common in jokes and puns rather difficult to document, but uses that look like authentic eggcorns are, should of course, be added. (I have been duped already, though. Must delete an occurrence example.)
All: Duly noted, with thanks.
17
Commentary by Anthony , 2005/02/15 at 11:36 pm
bottom line >> button line
In an email from a colleague as our application development approached a deadline:
“The button line is we don’t have time to change all the search screens.”
I suppose we had to get the product out the door, get dressed and get out the door ourselves! I couldn’t find any other examples of this one on Google.
18
Commentary by Ben Zimmer , 2005/02/15 at 11:43 pm
Another one that frequently appears in joke form is “circus-sized” for “circumsized”. Paul Brians has it on his list of errors, but I can’t find any authentic examples online (it tends to appear on lists of “medical bloopers” and the like).
19
Commentary by Tim Hollebeek , 2005/02/16 at 12:00 am
I’m surprised you don’t have copyright -> copywrite yet. At over 300,000 googles, it’s a rather impressively common mistake/pun!
20
Commentary by such , 2005/02/16 at 12:21 am
Not sure if this counts as an eggcorn but when I was in school, there were two versions of this saying:
“A rolling stone gathers no moss.”
(15,900 hits on Google)
and
“A rolling stone gathers no mass.”
(a poor 36 hits on Google, but I have an idea it may be more prevalent than the statistics suggest)
I’ve head satisfactory explanations for both!
21
Commentary by alison , 2005/02/16 at 5:03 am
i’d just
assumeas soon go buy cookies rather than make them!22
Commentary by david , 2005/02/16 at 10:02 pm
This one is in dictionaries as a variant, so is kind of an archaic eggcorn, but I haven’t seen anyone mention minuscule -> miniscule, which is very common. It definitely represents a reanalysis of minuscule, which originally had penultimate stress, into mini+scule, based on analogy with mini-, which comes from miniature.
It’s most common when used in the extended sense of anything that is very small, but is even sometimes found when describing lowercase letters.
en.wikipedia.org/w/index….
en.wikipedia.org/w/index….
I’ve fixed them in the current revisions of these pages, but these entries from the history show them as they were originally entered.
23
Commentary by David Scriven , 2005/02/16 at 11:12 pm
pale >> pail
chiefly in “beyond the pail”
2,150 Google hits, most of which appear to use it as a pun. Here’s one that apparently uses it seriously:
www.metalcoven.com/book_a…
24
Commentary by Philip Newton , 2005/02/17 at 8:49 am
Tim Hollebeek: “playwrite” is a similar mistake, also easily understandable (hey, he writes plays, so he must be a playwrite, rite? Er, right?)
25
Commentary by joe , 2005/02/18 at 6:39 am
Cool site. I’ve heard “play it by year” used in place of “play it by ear” a few times. Google reports about 300 hits too, but mainly forum and blog posts.
26
Commentary by Frank Sennett , 2005/02/18 at 6:53 am
One of my favorites, commonly spotted in business articles, is the description of a person or company making a “360-degree turnaround” instead of the 180-degree pivot the writer’s likely thinking of. When it’s clear the so-called turnaround is merely cosmetic and/or temporary in nature, the use of “360-degree” becomes doubly amusing…
27
Commentary by Paul Battley , 2005/02/18 at 6:50 pm
I’ve frequently seen “moot point” written as “mute point”. I’m sure that this must be exclusive to North American dialects; to me (RP), /mu:t/ and /mju:t/ are quite distinct pronunciations.
28
Commentary by Paul Battley , 2005/02/18 at 6:54 pm
Argh - I wish I’d worked out how this site worked before posting that duplicate!
Anyway, here’s another that appears to be new. This one has long ago become a fully-accredited expression, but appears to have started from an egg corn: “[as long as a] donkey’s ears” > “donkey’s years”
29
Commentary by Don Porges , 2005/02/18 at 8:11 pm
Previously unknown to me: “hold hat” for “old hat” (meaning “not new”).
“To carry on for just a moment,the religious zealots knocking on the door bit is hold hat.”
(left2right.typepad.com/ma…)
“Coverups - Hold Hat for Bush and Republicans”
(groups-beta.google.com/gr…)
“64-bits is very hold hat - don’t get caught up in all the hype”
(groups-beta.google.com/gr…)
– any re-analysis escapes me.
30
Commentary by Philip Newton , 2005/02/18 at 9:34 pm
“rest bite” for “respite” (presumably under the impression that that word rhymes with “spite”, rather than “spit”)
Examples include:
the understated piano sound is
welcome rest bite from intenseness of the rest of the album.
the lake
is so beautiful and a welcome rest bite from the heat.
today
provides some welcome rest bite form the bustle of city centre life.
(Brought to my attention by NTK)
31
Commentary by Nigel Morphine , 2005/02/18 at 9:59 pm
One I particularly despise is “poured over” for “pored over.” In the example below, a teacher has written to his students the following sentence:
“I’ve poured over your quizzes several times…”
icarus.lcc.gatech.edu/adm…
I wonder if anyone was tempted to answer: “Well, if you’ve poured anything over my quiz, you can keep it.”
32
Commentary by Nigel Morphine , 2005/02/18 at 10:06 pm
“Tough road to hoe” instead of the correct “tough row to hoe.”
A headline: Tough road to hoe for NIFL visitors
www.fortwayne.com/mld/jou…
As the site below points out, out in the cotton patch you have a tough row to hoe. This saying has nothing to do with road construction.
www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/…
33
Commentary by Karen , 2005/02/18 at 10:18 pm
I’ve recently seen “affectionado” used for “aficionado”. That may not qualify as an eggcorn though, since it seems to sort of mean the same thing. I still love it though!
There also seems to be some confusion on the internet and elsewhere, about whether something is a “sea change” or a “seed change”.
34
Commentary by John Ings , 2005/02/19 at 4:49 pm
I suggest GROINECOLOGIST for GYNECOLOGIST
as malaproped by Archie Bunker. Credit to All in the Family’s writers.
35
Commentary by Katy Jennison , 2005/02/19 at 10:38 pm
“Baton down the hatches” - in the London UK Guardian’s Saturday Travel supplement, 19 February 2005, in an article by Joanna Moorhead. “Everyone knows kids make the worst neighbours on a long (or even a short) distance flight. What most passengers do is probably what you’re about to do right now - baton down the hatches, ram on the headphones and avert your eyes…”
36
Commentary by Katy Jennison , 2005/02/19 at 10:40 pm
“Tarnished with the same brush” - a guest on BBC radio Today programme, 15 February 2005.
“Deemed to failure” - a guest on BBC radio You & Yours programme, same day.
37
Commentary by Nicholas W , 2005/02/19 at 10:46 pm
Here’s an interesting one I discovered this afternoon. “Third Right” for “Third Reich”:
Came across it here:
What I see reminds me of footage from the third right the way patriotic imagery is thrown around bugger all.
A google search turns up several others, including:
“Some SS staff did little different in the Third Right in Germany,” he said.
Dorothy Thompson [an American anti-Nazi newspaper correspondent who was banned from the Third Right in the mid thirties.]
The followers of the Third Right are focusing now on Racial Biology and Eugenics. It is crazy stuff.
38
Commentary by Emma Craib , 2005/02/20 at 8:40 pm
A friend was shocked to learn it was not “a doggy dog world”. The world is a place where a lot of down to earth sniffing of a variety of things and places is a part of our daily grind…that’s how she saw it; a kinder, gentler canine behavior.
39
Commentary by 7om , 2005/02/20 at 10:35 pm
Infamous loop instead of infinite loop. This site www.nitevibe.com/buzz/nit… malaprops with this: “Music includes hip-hop, funk, reggae, soul and other beat-heavy material utilizing breaks, samples and of course the infamous loop/the infamous loop/the infamous loop/the infamous loop/the infamous….”
40
Commentary by Paul B. Gallagher , 2005/02/20 at 11:15 pm
Mano a mano, construed as “one-on-one” or “man-to-man” instead of the original “hand-to-hand” — the reference to action without an intermediary is lost. Sometimes also used in the sense “to go it alone against” an opponent, who need not necessarily be singular.
Examples:
41
Commentary by Tom Phillips , 2005/02/21 at 1:41 am
First of all, could somebody close that damn tag?…
On the matter at hand, and teacher once told me that she was marking a P.E. exam where the kid had been asked “What is the term for a person who is paid to play sport?” His answer - “Armchair”. The teacher said it took her about a day to work out that he’d meant to write “Amateur”. Which, obviously, would have been the wrong answer anyway.
Now, if not just an apocryphal exam-horror story, I think that’s a fully fledged eggcorn - but it’s one that’s quite difficult to track down in the wild, because, well, it’s just a bit too eggcorny. The conceptual transition between “armchair” and “amateur” is already so strong (2,400 Google hits for “armchair amateur”), combined with the pleasing half-rhyme, that it’s hard to tell if it’s ever truly being used mistakenly. It’s not just “armchair scientists” and “armchair historians” - even in sports, it can refer to a fan, or a player of sporting computer games, or someone involved in a “fantasy league” game (e.g.). Suffice it to say, if anybody can find a genuine, undeniable example of this roaming the wild, I will love them longtime.
42
Commentary by Philip Jones , 2005/02/21 at 2:05 pm
In today’s (2/21/050 New York Times, in an article about a controversial episode of “The Simpsons”, comes the following quote:
“The issue was mainstream to some degree, but now that they’ve deigned it worthy of the show it is interwoven into the fabric of popular culture,” said Ray Richmond, a television columnist for The Hollywood Reporter and co-editor of the anthology “The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family.”
Google only finds 17 instances of “deign it worthy”, vs. 3000+ of “deem it worthy.” Is this an eggcorn, or a legitimate use of “deign”?
43
Commentary by Paul Battley , 2005/02/21 at 10:58 pm
breach > breech
Seen in the wild here: “Looks like the evil Pop-Up advertisers have finally breeched the wall.”
44
Commentary by M Smith , 2005/02/22 at 4:58 am
As a pose to = As opposed to
Encountered in teaching a Year 12 high school student. On being asked about the phrase, the student explained that it was used when someone or something was taking a stance against something. “Pose’ here is analysed as meaning “stance” and “to” as equivalent to “against”, indicating that the phrase is a genuine eggcorn rather than a simple error. The student spoke English as a first language.
Googling for “as a pose to” produces 2100 results.
45
Commentary by Athena Janiszewski , 2005/02/22 at 11:20 pm
“Hidesight” wasn’t in your database and I’ve noticed it being used in place of, “hindsight”. Google returns close to 500 results with this eggcorn.
46
Commentary by codeman38 , 2005/02/23 at 3:18 am
This one would be rather difficult to find due to the scooter of the same name, but I’ve seen “segue” mis-parsed as “segway” on a number of occasions. I’ve also seen the rather interesting conflation “segueway”.
47
Commentary by Mike Gremel , 2005/02/23 at 7:19 pm
I have no quarms about that. (instead of qualms)
48
Commentary by Wade Hassler , 2005/02/24 at 12:10 am
“as a matter of fact” is often (see Google) rendered “as a matter a fact”
First saw it in a thank-you note from a teen-ager
Wade
49
Commentary by Matt Kuzma , 2005/02/24 at 2:05 am
My history teacher in high school once lamented that he heard the term “Phyrric” of “Phyrric victory” confused with “empirical” as in “empirical evidence.” And I found it!
www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/me…
50
Commentary by Michael , 2005/02/24 at 5:59 pm
From a newsletter to parents: “Although the Delta Phi chapter has many talented singers (in addition to a few tone-death members)…”
51
Commentary by Nigel Morphine , 2005/02/24 at 8:12 pm
“I shutter to think” in place of the correct: “I shudder to think.”
Comment #10 on this site:
upsaid.com/eurotrash/inde…
52
Commentary by J , 2005/02/24 at 9:28 pm
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned “ripe with” instead of “rife with.”
53
Commentary by josh finkler , 2005/02/24 at 11:17 pm
chester drawers > chest of drawers
(i see this all the time in local for-sale papers. wacky, eh?!)
54
Commentary by rob , 2005/02/24 at 11:21 pm
You haven’t yet included my favourite, but I’m used to this sort of hardship: after all, it’s a doggie-dog world, is it not?
55
Commentary by Adam , 2005/02/25 at 12:09 am
Many of my students write “populous” in place of “populace”.
56
Commentary by Bill Bevis , 2005/02/25 at 12:18 am
all told >> all tolled
As in “accounted for” or “tabulated”. Initially, I thought that this expression was much more mathematical, analytical than just “after we’ve considered all of the talk…”.
57
Commentary by Wade Hassler , 2005/02/25 at 1:17 am
“keep tract” for “keep track”
The ‘correct’ version far outnumbers the ‘incorrect,’ though
58
Commentary by Steve , 2005/02/25 at 1:26 am
I am amazed and a little - well, not exactly concerned, but…OK, I am concerned - about the number of people who use the word “loose” instead of “lose”.
e.g. I have the URL of the eggcorns website and I really hope I don’t loose it.
59
Commentary by Steve , 2005/02/25 at 1:28 am
further to my previous post:
1) I must learn to be more vigilant about fields…I thought it was “subject” not “your site”
2) for some classic examples: www.google.com.au/search?…
60
Commentary by David E.B. Smith , 2005/02/25 at 2:23 am
The Quick Takes column of the Chicago Sun-Times on February 24, 2005, www.suntimes.com/output/q…, notes:
“Anthony Coletta, a Des Plaines reader, writes:
“Is it “calm, cool and collected’ or ‘calm, cool and collective’? I keep hearing it both ways.”
I can’t imagine what would be “calm, cool and collective” other than a farm under Communism in Russia.
61
Commentary by Alex Smaliy , 2005/02/25 at 3:03 am
I’ve recently noticed “hickup” for “hiccup.” Google delivers some 17k hits for it spelt as one word, and 7k for split and hyphenated versions.
62
Commentary by Robert Brady , 2005/02/25 at 3:14 am
Back in my college days, a friend used to say “to all intensive purposes…”
I have a lot more; I’ll be back…
63
Commentary by Ken Stewart , 2005/02/25 at 4:15 am
I was very surprised not to see “tooth-comb” or “fine tooth-comb” (with or without the hyphen, and presumably by analogy with toothbrush) for “fine-toothed comb”; perhaps I’m just not searching the database right?
I’ve also noticed the term “any more”, originally only seen (AFAIK) in the form “not any more” as in “we don’t go there any more”, used without the negative particle, and in the sense “these days” eg “it’s so hard to find a really fine tooth-comb any more”, or “I get tired so early in the evening any more”.
64
Commentary by hobodog , 2005/02/25 at 1:53 pm
“self of steam”/”self-esteem” [English]: an elusive (allusive?) and nebulous concept which is slowly losing theoretical ground in the varied attempts by sociology to isolate and define the root factors and formative causes of less than optimal levels of personal performance by certain underachievers on the world (whirled?) stage.
example: “The social worker blames my low self of steam for my failing grades in English.”
65
Commentary by hobodog , 2005/02/25 at 2:00 pm
and, ya gotta love the recent substitution of “ashcroft” for “asshole”
example: “You ashcroft!” “No, YOU’RE the ASHCROFT!!”
www.washingtonpost.com/ac…
66
Commentary by hobodog , 2005/02/25 at 4:16 pm
Re: the earlier post on “death throws/throes”, how about this:
“The electrocuted man was thrown from the throne when the restraining straps were thoroughly ripped apart by his death throes, which were throwing him about so violently.”?
67
Commentary by Stewart C. Russell , 2005/02/25 at 4:24 pm
groundhog work, as in:
from this rugby article, Jones Lives The Dream For Wales, from the UK Press Association newswire.
Groundhogs aren’t known for their sporting prowess; sleeping, burrowing and weather predication, maybe, but sporting, no. I suspect the term the writer was looking for ground work, or variant thereof.
68
Commentary by J Francis , 2005/02/25 at 5:53 pm
“Vocal chords” for vocal cords. I’ve yet to hear anyone vocalize in chords, but I see the expression much more often than “vocal cords.” For example, at the Carnegie Mellon University (!) site: www.andrew.cmu.edu/course…
There’s an a cappella singing group that calls itself the Vocal Chords. Whether they really get their own joke, I don’t know.
69
Commentary by penguin , 2005/02/25 at 10:51 pm
“hunger pains” instead of “hunger pangs”
I know that they mean the same thing technically, but the second one is actually an expression whereas the first is not. is this an eggcorn?
70
Commentary by chris waigl , 2005/02/26 at 2:30 am
Excellent contributions, some of them new and very interesting. Let me here simply comment on a few suggestions that, while all interesting slips or linguistic errors, aren’t, in fact, eggcorns:
Frank Sennet (n° 26): 360° instead of 180° is more about mathematical metaphors in everyday language.
7om (n° 39): “infamous loop” is a classical malapropism. It doesn’t sound anywhere close enough to “infinite”.
Katy Jennison (n° 36): “tarnished with the same brush” — an interesting idiom shift, but “tarnished” is too far from “tarred” to be a direct reanalysis.
Paul Battley (n° 43) breech»breach could be and eggcorn, but we have one of the cases here where we just don’t know if it’s not a phonetic typo, like speach for speech. The same goes for Steve’s suggestion in n° 58.
Mike Gremel, n° 47: this is certainly an error born out of a certain amount of ignorance about the standard form; but I am not sure how what meaning “quarm” might add.
Adam, n°55: there is no reanalysis, at least not on the lexical level.
Ken Steward, n° 63: “fine tooth-comb”, a reattachment eggcorn, has been documented on Language Log and will be added; however, the shifting sense of “any more” is not an eggcorn.
hobodog, n° 65: “ashcroft” looks quite a bit like a strategy to avoid a word that is considered an obscenity, and not like a genuine production. Correct me if I am wrong!
Quite a number of the other commenters will notice that their contributions have been added to the database, and duly credited. We are working our way through all of them.
71
Commentary by Carl Hart , 2005/02/26 at 6:15 pm
“cachet” instead of “cache”, very commonly: “a cachet of weapons”
“Tips indicated that a man who lived at the residence had stored a cachet of weapons and knew something about the shooting, according to police.”
from www.gazette.net/200241/bo…
“…when he was involved in preparations for an armed raid against Cuba and a cachet of weapons in his possession was seized”
from www.spectrezine.org/resis…
72
Commentary by Carl Hart , 2005/02/26 at 8:19 pm
“forward” for “foreword” Google returns more that 21,000 hits for “a forward by”
This is from The Writers Digest web site:
“Snoopy’s Guide to the Writing Life
edited by Barnaby Conrad with a forward by Monte Schulz”
73
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/02/27 at 6:36 pm
I love your site and I have one borderline and two definite eggcorns to offer:
74
Commentary by Amanda , 2005/02/28 at 2:06 am
How about “to cut off one’s nose despite (to spite) one’s face”?
75
Commentary by suchi , 2005/02/28 at 3:12 am
Two eggcorns I heard about on the Australian ABC radio channel (RJ Red Simons I think):
“Hone in on” instead of “Home in on”
“slashed across (newspapers or the media)” instead of “splashed across”. Reportedly used by singer Delta Goodrem.
76
Commentary by Paul Battley , 2005/02/28 at 10:37 pm
populace > populous
“And the PC-hating populous these products are designed for are quite happy watching TV…” (Seen in a computer magazine.)
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/02/28 at 11:14 pm
People routinely confuse the prefixes ‘ante-’ and ‘anti-’ This leads to such neologisms ‘antibellum’ and ‘antinatal’. Both words yield rich google searches. I haven’t found anyone who thinks that ‘antibellum’ means ‘ against the war’ but the meaning of ‘antinatal is all over the map.
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/01 at 3:02 pm
‘impassive resistance’ for ‘passive resistance.’ Presumably, this refers to those who block traffic and don’t smile while they’re doing so. See,
… I strongly believe that many of these so-called Indian Agents practiced a subtle
impassive resistance campaign against the mobility of the Indian people in …
www.sicc.sk.ca/saskindian… - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
Some who recognize this distinction have interposed only impassive resistance: having
grasped the deep flaws in the case for animal rights, they find it hard …
www.enterstageright.com/ archive/articles/0500rattlingcage.htm -
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Commentary by Carl Hart , 2005/03/01 at 9:04 pm
“spread like wildflowers” for “spread like wildfire”
Little wonder Buddhism spread like wildflowers.
www.adelaideinstitute.org…
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/02 at 2:58 am
‘hypermania’ for ‘hypomania’. ‘Hypomania’ is a standard term of psychiatric nosology, referring to a state of elevated mood less severe than mania. ‘Hypermania’ is not in official use, although it has an obsolete meaning- severe mania. But it’s much more evocative .
See, e.g., ‘As is common for many people with manic-depressive illness, I had a series of mild depressive episodes interspersed with probably mild hypermania…’ www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8…
81
Commentary by andrew cosand , 2005/03/02 at 9:56 pm
I’ve seen “run rapid” used instead of “run rampant,” in the phrase “My mind is running rapid.” This phrase seems like a reasonable description for having a lot going on in one’s mind, so the confusion is understandable.
82
Commentary by Malte , 2005/03/02 at 9:58 pm
saturdate for saturate”
Spotted here:
A brief googling doesn’t turn up any definitions. I’d love to know how that weekend feeling gets in there.
83
Commentary by Paul Pellerito , 2005/03/03 at 9:43 am
Spotted in an Ebay auction written down for the first time, I’ve heard this egg corn several times. People say “in tack” and mean “intact”. Ebay auction here: tinyurl.com/7xjpw
84
Commentary by Matthias , 2005/03/03 at 4:21 pm
A co-worker just said, “Talk about a polarmetric difference: Nixon and Carter, huh?”
Confounding “polar opposite” and “diametrically opposed”, I suppose.
85
Commentary by unrealious , 2005/03/03 at 7:43 pm
Several young people I know have taken to using the phrase “Old timers” in place of the word Alzheimer’s (a degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized especially by premature senile mental deterioration)
In several places on the internet I have seen the phrase “Statue of limitations” instead of “Statute of limitations”.
86
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 12:51 am
‘augers well’ for ‘augurs well.’ This is a surprisingly common mistake (78,000 google hits for ‘augers well’ vs. 107,000 for ‘augurs well.’) I’d call it a borderline eggcorn except when predictions about drilling are being made. See, e.g.,
… It augers well for the productivity of sands within the Tiof channel system although a lot more work needs to be done before any field-wide commercial …
ir.bg-group.com/bgir/rns/ rnsitem?id=1108450867nRNSO6061I
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 1:05 am
‘bullion cube’ for ‘bouillon cube.’ This is another very common mistake (13,000 google hits). Gold and dessicated soup are both dense, concentrated, and often formed into a cuboid shape.
88
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 1:11 am
‘bridle party’ for ‘bridal party.’ 125,000 google hits for the eggcorn version. Readers can insert their own joke about ‘getting hitched.’
89
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 1:35 am
‘dental’ for ‘dentil,’ especially in the phrase ‘dental molding’ to describe the architectural feature.
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 1:48 am
‘hanger’ for ‘hangar.’ You store your clothing on a hanger; why not your airplane too? See,
… The advantage of owning these airplane hanger building systems is the low cost … Whether
you need a low cost single aircraft hanger for your plane, or an …
www.metal-steel-buildings…
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 2:05 am
‘mantel’ for ‘mantle,’ especially in the phrase ‘mantel of greatness.’ Perhaps it comes to mind because people display their trophies and other signs of ‘greatness’ over their fireplaces. See,
Glory of Racing’s Triple Crown… When you get right down to it, thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown just may be the most elite mantel of greatness in all of sports. …
brokopp.casinocitytimes.c…
KU Basketball 2002-03: Oregon vs. Kansas… We bestowed the mantel of greatness on them for several reasons. Firstly they are the University of Kansas Jayhawks where the margin for error is small. …
www.rockchalk.com/games/c…
Wine Club - Tastings of Charlottesville… I have no doubt that with time will come the mantel of greatness and the veneration of the wine world. And the wines? Why Oregon Pinot Noir of course. …
www.tastingsofcville.com/…
92
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 2:15 am
‘metal’ for ‘mettle’ See, e.g.,
… For instance, “testing one’s metal” is essentially testing one’s spiritual, emotional and physical aptitude. …
www.adwizards.com/dreamer…
… In another sense, the phrase “Testing your metal” refers to seeing how well one’s
abilities can endure when presented with a difficult or nearly impossible task …
www.isoaker.com/Info/arti…
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 2:22 am
‘planter’s warts’ for ‘plantar warts.’ 4,000+ google hits for this classical eggcorn. Plantar warts are not caused by agricultural work, but it sounds like they are.
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 2:44 am
’slow-eyed’ for ’sloe-eyed.’ See, e.g.,
… The women–they were beautiful women, slow-moving, slow-eyed, of soft laughter and
sudden melancholy, and clear, serene profiles and abundant hair. …
www.manybooks.net/pages/g…
… Khao San Road is a Grateful Dead show without the music. Slow-eyed people are
gliding their way up the street in flowing linen clothing. …
www.worldsurface.com/brow…
… Deep within the Kremil neighborhood of Surabaya, past rows of dimly lit parlors
fronted by slow-eyed prostitutes who stir only at the sight of potential …
www.time.com/time/asia/fe…
95
Commentary by Jonathan Fenocchi , 2005/03/04 at 7:33 am
Just saw this… “I am very graceful for your example!” instead of “I am very grateful for your example!” Seen here. This is in other places as well. Search Google for “very graceful for” to find more.
96
Commentary by Orv Lund , 2005/03/04 at 3:43 pm
“personal antidote” for “personal anecdote”
97
Commentary by Kevin Patterson , 2005/03/04 at 4:55 pm
One of my favorites from years ago came from the school newspaper of a well-respected Midwestern university. In a story on campus beautification, a simple wrought iron fence was described as a “rot iron” fence.
98
Commentary by Steve Pinkston , 2005/03/04 at 6:08 pm
I’ve never seen this in print, but it was consistently used by a former co-worker. Instead of describing the “&” character as an ampersand, he called it an “and-percent.” When I questioned him about it he said that it was “like a percent sign that means ‘and’.”
99
Commentary by Steve Pinkston , 2005/03/04 at 6:20 pm
A singer in a band I was in once told me, “I know I’m smart enough to get into college, I just can’t come up with the intuition.”
100
Commentary by Steve Pinkston , 2005/03/04 at 6:33 pm
RE: College Intuition vs. tuition. I found some citations:
“The statistics about the annual increases of college intuition hardly bear repeating.
at www.dartmouth.org/clubs/w…
“I’m calling about raising taxes to help college intuition”
at www.news-star.com/stories…
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Commentary by Steve Pinkston , 2005/03/04 at 6:43 pm
Vaginacologist for gynecologist:
“Went to the dentist and then the vaginacologist, so I guess it was a day for getting things scraped.”
Found at: rubyfoxx.diaryland.com/Te…
102
Commentary by jason , 2005/03/04 at 7:50 pm
This one drives me crazy as I find my mom saying it all the time. Expresso for Espresso as in my mom thinks it means fast coffee or something.
< a href=”http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=enGB&word1=espresso&word2=expresso” target=”blank”>Google Fight Results.
Then there’s another one that my step dad is guilty of.
Swifter for Swiffer. I almost think they named their product wrong for how many people I hear refer to it as a “Swifter”
Examples in the wild here.
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 9:54 pm
‘Tender hooks’ for ‘tenterhooks.’ I thought this might not qualify for the database because it’s too well known- there are, for example, several books and records entitled ‘Tender Hooks.’ But it still turns up as a genuine eggcorn. See, e.g.
… “Point being that there are even Arab writers that understand that “glorious” insurgency is on tender hooks as the elections start to get underway in Iraq. …
www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/u… cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=41&t=000746
800 years pass and there’s a rather fragile alliance between the different nations and everything is on tender hooks.
www.loadedinc.com/review…. view=review.php&game=Freelancer&id=156 - 25k - Cached - Similar pages
I have just discovered these books and love them however I have been left hanging on tender hooks!! …
www.allreaders.com/Board. asp?listpage=8&BoardID=2290
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Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/04 at 10:01 pm
‘dilute’ for ‘delude’ Examples:
… How self-diluted—they’re not fighting for OUR freedom and for those who
proclaim that they are fighting for Iragi freedom–WAKE UP! …
www.ariannaonline.com/ blog/?postid=226&replyto=16594
… life sucks. Constant words like decay, damaged, and void will lead you
in a direction of pity, and self-diluted depression. The …
www.entertainmentopia.com… music/nineInchNails_theFragile.shtml
Church of the New Order
… I have seen more of you jump to defend the tender feelings of some poor self diluted
sucker than I have lift even one finger to do the job this church was …
www.subgenius.com/bigfist… X-Day98/POST-X-DAY-2/X0003ChurchoftheNew_Or.html
105
Commentary by Christopher Lion , 2005/03/04 at 11:47 pm
Here’s one I hear a lot: we really need to “flush this out” further instead of to “flesh out.”
106
Commentary by Mike Hall , 2005/03/05 at 3:00 am
“For all intensive purposes” is one of my favorites. But here’s one I’ve been noticing for at least ten years: other that, fewer that, less that, etc. Always substituting “that” for “than”, and not always directly following the comparator (comparative?), e.g. “Barry Bonds hit more home runs in one season that any other in history”.
107
Commentary by rich willman , 2005/03/05 at 3:55 am
An air traffic control publication spoke about the expenses that were endured in replacing equipment. It’s more likely the expenses incurred were just hard to endure.
108
Commentary by Kathleen Redman , 2005/03/05 at 5:51 am
This comment was heard in an after-dinner speech: “And let’s give Mrs. Smith a standing probation!”
109
Commentary by Trish , 2005/03/05 at 11:04 am
I don’t know if this qualifies, but it’s something that is so common now that it appears to be accepted without question. It’s a phrase that grates like fingernails on a chalkboard whenever I hear it used:
hole nother instead of another whole, i.e., “That’s a whole nother subject entirely”.
110
Commentary by Mark Williamson , 2005/03/05 at 11:15 am
New eggcorn: “zoology”. (correctly zoölogy). Nearly mainstream
Reason it’s an eggcorn rather than a misspelling or spelling variation: according to rules of spelling (rather than “rules of style”), “zoology” should be pronounced “zoo-logy” and sound almost like z + eulogy. But since the second letter is pronounced separately (unlike in the root word), it is given a dieresis.
It would seem to me to mean, if so pronounced, an eulogy for an animal.
This is different from rôle vs role because rôle may or may not be correct, but there is no difference in pronunciation and there is no separate word “role” and there is no room for a different interpretation.
111
Commentary by Trish , 2005/03/05 at 4:16 pm
Apologies for the typo above….of course I meant whole nother. Blame it on the late hour when I submitted the entry!
112
Commentary by Roxanne Cheney , 2005/03/06 at 3:29 am
This may be too personal for this site (which is a hoot, by the way - thanks!), but the following has been a family joke for close to 50 years:
My maiden name was Roxanne Waters. Back in the 1950s, when I was in elementary school, my first name was even more unusual than it is today. But imagine my surprise when half-way through the school year I received an invitation addressed to “rocks sand waters”! I wonder how many other kids had been calling me “rocks sand” all year?
113
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/06 at 3:41 am
‘airy’ for ‘aerie.’ See,
… If an eagle’s airy was to be robbed, I must be present at the perpetration.
napoleonic-literature.com… AgeOfNapoleon/E-Texts/Waterloo5.html
… Of exceptional note was Henry Roy Vicker’s Eagle Airy Gallery in Tofino Bay up the coast of Vancouver Island (3)
www.wickedsunshine.com/Pr… HaidaStory/HaidaStory-PersonalInterest.html
114
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/06 at 3:52 am
‘axle’ for ‘axel.’ The axel, a figure skating leap and turn, is named after the Norwegain who first performed it. But it seems like you’re turning about an axle when you do it. See,
i landed my double lutz, double toe and pretty much landed my double axle!! …
board.usfigureskating.org… asp?action=9&read=7636&fid=7
… I returned to Intermediate New England’s with a nice clean double axle and won …
www.figureskatersonline.c…
115
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/06 at 4:21 am
‘disperse’ for ‘disburse.’ A substitution perhaps arising from the colloquial description of expending money as ’spreading it around.’
… The Departments of the Treasury and Justice have solicited new applications from
eligible candidates and intend to disperse $2.5 million in C-FIC funds …
www.terrorismcentral.com/… Government/US/Treasury/NtlMonLaund/NMLGoal4.html
… Whether your company needs to collect or disperse foreign currency, Mellon can
accommodate you through its foreign exchange (FX) desk, …
www.mellon.com/cashmanage… newsletter/updateataglance/up0025.html
116
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/06 at 4:37 am
‘gorilla’ for ‘guerilla.’ Some writers believe that great apes are especially fierce and cunning combatants. See,
… but outside law enforcement it’s likely there will be plenty
more khat-chewing gorilla fighters in mess-o-potamia…
www.worldaffairsboard.com… showthread.php?t=2784&page=2
… But unlike other gorilla fighters in the African bush, Chrispin’s war is non-violent…
www.iicd-volunteer.org/ne…
… Yet our most sophisticated weaponry will not flush out gorilla fighters who have entrenched themselves into the rugged terrain …
perdurabo10.tripod.com/id…
117
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/06 at 4:47 am
‘handsome’ for ‘hansom.’ An obsolete but very good-looking conveyance!
The two-wheeled handsome cab is one of the most striking images of the Victorian
city, but it was not the only type of cab to be found. …
www.piehtoolco.com/en-us/…
… In 2002, our second dream date couple, Candace and Brian, spent a luxurious evening in Manhattan, with a night at the Plaza Hotel, a handsome cab ride and …
www.eharmony.com/static/n…
… When you are ready to “shop ’til you drop” relax and grab a handsome cab….
and discover a comfortable and charming way to window shop. …
www.sunny.org/media/index…
118
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/06 at 5:08 am
‘roomer mill’ for ‘rumour mill.’ Apparently on the theory that people who live together share gossip.
… I know he’s Single but has he been dating anyone??? The Indian-American roomer mill says that’s he has been seeing someone for 4 years is that correct??? …
www.sfu.ca/~joes/jnn/cnn_…
… It’s the isolation that makes people feel something is wrong and brings on the roomer mills, stress, and lost productivity,…
www.presentation-pointers… showarticle.asp?articleid=442
… The roomer-mill had it that Potential, scared by their out in the Semi-Finals, had lost players to other aspirant Finalist steelbands. …
www.seetobago.com/trinida… pan/2005/pano/mlcnf2005pors.htm
119
Commentary by Mervyn Cripps , 2005/03/06 at 4:06 pm
“Police put him in a straightjacket …” straitjacket
“caught flack for his decision …” flak
120
Commentary by steve , 2005/03/06 at 7:19 pm
take it for granite, instead of take it for granted
121
Commentary by Bob Bryant , 2005/03/06 at 7:45 pm
Hard road to hoe
for
Hard row to hoe
122
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/06 at 10:52 pm
‘tenants’ for ‘tenets.’ The principles of a belief system get reconceptualized as ideas that inhabit that system. e.g.,
One of the primary tenants of democracy is respecting the dignity
of others and equality for all humanity.
www.expmagazine.com/midwe… name=News&file=index&catid=&topic=5&am…
The basic tenants of Islam are few but each part forms a whole way of life,
a way of thinking, and a way of dealing with life’s problems. …
www.islamicgarden.com/fun…
… His moral theory mirrored more that of Hume’s in sticking to the tenants of naturalism than it resembled deontological theories such as Kant’s. … www.philosophytalk.org/pa…
123
Commentary by Jenn LeBow , 2005/03/07 at 1:23 am
How about “touching basis” for “touching base”? I assume that the original phrase referred to baseball. I have no idea why you would need to touch the basis for an argument.
Here are two examples from a Google search:
The odd thing about our relationships is that we’ve never touched basis with one another since.
Anyway I just wanted to touch basis with you, keep up the good work.
Love this site, by the way!
Jenn
124
Commentary by Bob Baseman , 2005/03/07 at 1:46 am
garden angel for guardian angel.
My wife, who grew up north of Boston always refered to the Mystic River Bridge as the Mr. Griver Bridge
125
Commentary by R Miller , 2005/03/07 at 2:01 am
On of my students had me baffled with “first to fall”, as in : First to fall, he was brave. I finally realized she meant “First of all”!
126
Commentary by Armen Varteressian , 2005/03/07 at 3:24 am
From Today’s San Jose Mercury News, two gems:
First, in a piece titled “Children At War” by a National Security Fellow at the Brookings Institution: “A 10 year old can learn to use an AK-47 in under 30 minutes, and more importantly, that same 10 year old has the same lethality with that AK-47 that an entire Civil War regimen had.” Silly me, I was unaware there was a Civil War regimen.
Second, in an op-ed piece on improvements to Mineta San Jose International Airport, the author says “…functionality should take precedent over onramental design elements.”
127
Commentary by Ken Lakritz , 2005/03/07 at 4:10 am
‘Martial therapy’ for ‘marital therapy.’ A substitution that suggests an excessively conflictual view of conjugal relationships. See,
… Colorado couples seeking martial therapy locally find this a time-effective option…
www.passionatemarriage.co… coloradomaritaltherapy_intensive.htm
… Treatment method used at our clinic include: Medical treatment; Individual psychotherapy; Family and martial therapy; Behavioural / Cognitive therapy; …
www.imh.com.sg/ourservices/childguidance%20.htm
… Couples who arrive at martial therapy with one or more partners ambivalent with regard to whether to remain committed to the marriage, whose problems are more …
www.mentalhelp.net/poc/ view_doc.php?type=doc&id=4400
128
Commentary by John Walsh , 2005/03/07 at 4:27 am
I hear it all the time - wheelbarrel, instead of wheelbarrow.
129
Commentary by roger , 2005/03/07 at 6:22 am
formerly/formally. I saw an ad for a Glamour Shots studio at the mall, the ad clarified the fact that the name had changed, (formally hotshots).
So I’m assuming that for cheesecake photos, you’d call it Glamour shots, but for more formal occasions like a wedding, you’d call Hotshots.
130
Commentary by Rene Martinez , 2005/03/07 at 6:42 am
rod iron > wrought iron
Situated along swirls and scrolls of rod iron assuming a total configuration of the letter S, the metal symbols are chronologically arranged in relation to the legacy responsible for the development of Pine-Strawberry area.
(appeared in Rim Country News, August 25 1978)
131
Commentary by Umar , 2005/03/07 at 1:50 pm
This is a medical eggcorn: “Alzheimer’s disease” is often called “Old Timer’s disease” mistakenly.
132
Commentary by Barbara Hanson , 2005/03/07 at 3:53 pm