Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
As in
“Apple stores in San Francisco were supposed to have models available on Monday, although AT&T stores are plum out.”
-as posted on News.com at <http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9738538-7.html>
I see this usage of “plum” instead of the correct “plumb”(“Utterly; completely” -American Heritage Dictionary) very often. Perhaps it is an eggcorn, by way of the meaning of “plum” as in the American Heritage Dictionary “An especially desirable position, assignment, or reward.”
I am new to the concept of eggcorns, having just heard of them today 8/29/07.
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Hmmm.
My understanding of “plumb” is usually true or accurate (as achieved by lining something up against a plumbline)
However, in the phrases “plum tuckered out” or “I plum forgot” where plum means “completely” this spelling would be my instinct.
The use of plum to mean desirable as in “he got a really plum job at the bank” seems to me to come from the children’s rhyme in which Jack Horner sticks his thumb in a pie and pulls out a plum. He gets the best, sweetest part of the dish.
However, I am not a linguist so someone may be able to correct me.
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will buy a ridiculous hat – Scott Adams (author of Dilbert)
Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a day; set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life – Terry Pratchett
http://blog.meteorit.co.uk
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