prima donna » pre-madonna
Spotted in the wild:
- Ankela is a little pre-madonna. What an attitude problem. (rec.sport.soccer)
- “A contractor who was working for me quit about 2 weeks into January. The dude was premadonna headcase; came and went as he pleased, social moron (i.e. HR disaster waiting to happen), unreliabliable, etc. Not terribly uncommon in the software industry, but aggravating nonetheless.” (link)
Analyzed or reported by:
- Arnold Zwicky at Language Log (Still on the eggcorn beet)
- Phil Cleary (ADS-L, 22 March 2006)
1
Commentary by Patricia , 2006/03/17 at 2:04 am
I must say, as a person born in 1969, that I remember the world pre-madonna, and it was a much different place…
2
Commentary by Wicked Raven , 2006/04/25 at 6:48 pm
I like the idea of a “pre-madonna”. It suggests that there might be such a thing as a “post-madonna”. I eagerly await the first use of this term.
3
Commentary by Derek Wyckoff , 2006/08/09 at 10:39 pm
I can certainly see referring to a self-absorbed or egocentric young woman as a “pre- [e.g. “potential”] Madonna” ….