foment » ferment

Chiefly in:   ferment trouble/fears/unrest

Classification: English

Spotted in the wild:

  • Indonesia’s recalled ambassador, Hamzah Thayeb, believes Australia’s Uniting Church with partners in Papua, is fermenting trouble in the province. (ABC.Net.au, 20 April , 2006, The World Today transcript)
  • In a special announcement made on the state-owned Kaduna State Radio Corporation (KSMC) Mr Ibhaze said his command was reliably informed that trouble makers wanted to ferment trouble either yesterday or immediately after today’s Jumat prayers pointing out that the aim was to cause violence and destruction. (allAfrica.com, September 23, 2006)
  • But if he is denied the throne, will he rebel and ferment a civil war of his own? (Nick Cohen in Guardian Unlimited, October 3, 2004)

Foment having become obscure and somewhat formulaic in its usage, the verb ferment and its vivid imagery of slightly disgusting, bubbling and creative chaos is there to fill the gap.

With thanks to Bernhard Rohrer, who pointed out this eggcorn.

| link | entered by Chris Waigl, 2006/10/13 |

Commentaries

  1. 1

    Commentary by Bernhard , 2006/10/14 at 12:46 am

    bubble, bubble, toil and trouble ;)

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