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Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2007-09-22 19:54:57

tentaclesex
Member
Registered: 2007-09-22
Posts: 1

underwelling (underwhelming)

Found here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showth … t333712163

I have nothing to add.

Last edited by tentaclesex (2007-09-22 19:56:07)

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#2 2007-09-27 07:06:10

AdamVero
Eggcornista
From: Leeds, UK
Registered: 2007-09-04
Posts: 69
Website

Re: underwelling (underwhelming)

Mis-spelling, sure, but I don’t see an alternative meaning in the author’s intent that they somehow felt that underwelling had a meaning related to welling or anything else. On that basis it would not be an eggcorn, as there is no mix-up of meanings.

Underwhelmed is itself an odd one, being a deliberate juxtaposition of the idea of being overwhelmed (which stems from a literal meaning of flooding, if I recall correctly) with being so not overwhelmed, not even slightly whelmed, so must be underwhelmed.

A bit like my Uncle’s expression for being tipsy or even quite drunk – after one iced G&T / cold beer you feel refreshed, so by extension someone may be described as being [a bit] over-refreshed


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http://blog.meteorit.co.uk

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