Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
Google hits on Sept 21, 2007
170,000 “wage war”
125 “wager war” [56 unique]
Analysis by Joe Krozel
This might not be anything more than a malapropism, but no self-respecting eggcorn hunter would pass up the opportunity to attempt to prove otherwise… “Wage” means “to engage in or carry on,” and “wager” means “to risk [something] on an uncertain outcome.” It’s possible the utterers view the politics surrounding war as a wager toward a set of uncertain ends. (I.e., invoking extreme measures to force one’s opponent to accept an outcome). Alternatively, it might reflect the notion of tossing caution to the wind in making one’s decisions.
Would anyone care to wager a guess about whether this might be an eggcorn?
Examples:
Bush Administration Enforcing the Will of the United Nations…
If UN resolutions provided one of the principal justifications for the US decision to wager war, the US would have fought a war against Israel long ago as …
www.american-partisan.com/cols/2002/pyne/qtr4/11… – 13k – Similar pages
http://www.american-partisan.com/cols/2 … 4/1119.htm
The Democratic Party | Community Blogs
They wager war, in our godâ??s name, In fear that they create. Now freedoms are in grave peril, For what we cannot say. As thousands die in distant lands, ...
www.democrats.org/page/community/group/SavethePl… – 43k – Similar pages
http://www.democrats.org/page/community … et/2007/02
Abandonia – Abandonware DOS Games – Download Hannibal
You are put in charge of Carthage and at your disposals are some armed forces as well as the authority to gather new armies, collect taxes, and wager war… ...
www.abandonia.com/games/762/Hannibal – 26k – Similar pages
http://www.abandonia.com/games/762/Hannibal
Last edited by jorkel (2007-09-22 13:14:27)
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I vote “eggcorn.”
But only because I like the mental twist.
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It could be more of a mishearing, in that ‘wager’ is replacing the two-word phrase ”’wage a”, particularly when someone is trying to transcribe a speech after it has been given.
I know wage war does not need to have the ‘a’ for “wage a war” but it seems that in most of the cases cited this would be a plausible intention. I don’t believe the semi-ironic meaning of wager was in the minds of the authors.
Borderline, IMHO
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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