Eggcorn Forum

In a current thread Dixon mentions “banjo-footed:”

I’m reminded—admittedly tangentially—of the term “banjo-footed”, used to denote clumsiness. I read it years ago, and can’t recall for sure whether the context was “banjo-footed compliment” or “banjo-footed attempt” or whatever, but I always thought it was a clever phrase based on a strong image which really put across a clear message of clumsiness.

I don’t know the term “banjo-footed.” But could Dixon be thinking of “banjo-legged?” This phrase does occur at several places on the web (see examples below), and it appears to be an eggcorn. The correct phrase is, I believe, “bandy-legged,” an old term for a person or animal that had legs that bowed outward at the knee (a “bandy stick” looks like a hockey stick).

Examples:

Bike-rider narrative: “A sense of overwhelming mortal danger takes over. Plagued by terminal banjo leg and a head-ro-roe adrenaline rush, I pedal like an our of control eggbeater” (http://members.cox.net/petevannuys/Saving%20It.pdf) [This article appears to have scanner errors—but could a scanning mistake have turned “bandy” into “banjo?”]

Blog entry on prison escapes: “This banjo-legged stumble is supposed to protect you by muffling your footsteps. ” (http://www.somethingawful.com/d/game-re … escape.php)

1971 article in a religious magazine: “There was a short banjo-legged, muscular outfielder on the 1968 champion Detroit Tigers baseball team named Gates Brown.” (http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/M … 971-01.pdf)

Last edited by kem (2009-03-17 23:45:47)