Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
This is an eggcorn which I commonly use and I think I may have invented because I can’t find a reference to it anywhere. My husband always gets a kick out of it as with a few other phrases of mine. This still makes sense to me because you can still fit a word in “inchwise” which is a still a small space to fit a word in comparison to edgewise/edgeways which is just a much narrower gap of space. I had never thought of it being an incorrect usage until I married an English major who writes poetry and teaches English. He delights in my many creative interpretations of English usage which stem from being born and raised in Hawaii and mixing in various dialects from the melting pot culture of Honolulu I experienced.
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that’s a fun eggcorn. And how nice that your English major finds those creativities fun! it’s easy for folks who know this stuff to feel scornful, which would be a major pain in a husband, wouldn’t it?
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I think the verbal transition from “edge” to “inch” is credible.
Second, I think some people might have trouble envisioning what “edgewise” means, so the alternative imagery created by “inchwise” would certainly be a concrete alternative.
Finally, there are in-the-language usages of “inch” that lend their imagery as well… Inching along; perhaps even inching oneself into a space? (Not sure about the latter).
Overall, this reshaping has some strong elements to favor an eggcorn classification.
Last edited by jorkel (2008-02-29 14:28:35)
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