Eggcorn Forum

When I say “tyranny,” the first syllable is a homophone with “tear.” But I’ve noticed over the years that plenty of people seem to be using a vowel that sounds almost like a short “e.” That made me wonder whether the word might be reshaped – and sure enough, you can find at least a couple dozen unique examples of “terrorny.”

Tyrants are often associated with “reigns of terror,” so this seems like a pretty reasonable eggcorn to me. Nevertheless, I’ve often noticed that single-yolked eggcorns like this one exhibit what you might call “semantic decentering” – in which an idea that’s definitely associated with the acorn (in this case, terror) but somehow not quite at its semantic center ends up carrying the full burden of meaning for the reshaping as a whole. I think these work a little differently from double-yolkers like “dayview” and, arguably, “eggcorn”; with the single-yolkers, the reshapings seem more strongly “haunted” by their acorns.

Examples:

The departure of Mr. Gates will certainly not stop this malevolent and devious behaviour from the overall terrorny of Microsoft.
http://www.n4g.com/up/25811/commentsPage-2.aspx

Actually, I would say that games like MOHAA will be more possitive than negative – In that way, we honor those heroes that went to war to fight terrorny and dictatorship – or can you call them heroes since they kill others.
http://forum.jowood.com/archive/index.php/t-99472.html

Can’t agree with the Electoral College…it’s there to support the minority from the terrorny of the majority.
http://jericho.wetpaint.com/account/It% … Results=20

She had always known the Eye was Evil, and it wanted her dead. This was no surprise She grew up under its terrorny but this was different.
http://dragonlorechronicles.blogspot.com/

Last edited by patschwieterman (2010-03-18 00:27:38)