Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
The wetting of the palate, as opposed to the sharpening/whetting of the palate (appetite), makes a certain amount of mouth-watering sense.
In the below example, however, the Washington School Inn (www.washingtonschoolinn.com) has in mind the application of external wetting agents.
“To wet your palate a full bar and a fine selection of wines are available as well as specially selected wines and imported beers to complement each course.”
Another more straightforward, and less understandable, example:
“The classic “From Russia With Love” continues the ska tradition of reinterpreting movie themes, and a take of “When I Fall in Love” (given the sweetest of vocals by original songstress Doreen Shafer) sit comfortably with original tunes “African Beat”, “Ride me A Donkey” and two new songs written for the album. If that’s not enough to wet your palate, there’s also a great version of the Ska classic “Guns of Navarone”).”
(www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/5zw6/)
But I like the double-eggcorn which involves wetting one’s palette. Here we leap out into the deeply poetic and imagine that the prospect of good food is sufficiently inspirational as to be analogous to squirting fresh paint onto a palette. I have seen the phrase used both unknowingly and knowingly (as the title of a painting business).
I’d love to see other examples of the double/triple/quadruple eggcorn!
Saagarama
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