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Chris -- 2018-04-11
#1 2010-09-23 22:16:05
- lapith
- Member
- Registered: 2010-09-23
- Posts: 1
Windowshield
My boyfriend has a number of idiosyncratic words in his personal lexicon. One prominent example is his use of the word “windowshield” instead of “windshield”. I’ve pointed this out to him as an error literally dozens of times, but it’s apparently deeply embedded because it keeps coming back.
Tonight it occurred to me to see if anyone else has this substitution. Along with a number of false hits for tinted external car visors and window insulation, Google pulls up at least a couple examples which clearly apply as they include pictures of the object in question:
“Rain on the windowshield”, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocknserve/3703027797/
“Broken Windowshield Glass”, http://pichaus.com/vehicle-inruins-wind … 6213a7afb/
And lo and behold, a previous post in this forum shows a parallel example from across the pond (“windowscreen” for “windscreen”): http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/forum/view … hp?id=1603
My only question is, given the extra syllable, does this count as a true eggcorn? It seems like cheating to add a whole syllable rather than having a homophonic substitution.
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#2 2010-09-24 11:56:58
- kem
- Eggcornista
- From: Victoria, BC
- Registered: 2007-08-28
- Posts: 2853
Re: Windowshield
That’s a grade A eggcorn, lapith. The extra syllable? No problem. We speak English—elided syllables R us. The “d” to “s” transition in “windshield” forces a bit of a pause anyway (which may be why so many prefer to pronounce it WIN-shield).
A boyfriend who can’t correct a speech error? This is the wrong forum. You have a serious problem and should take it a personal relationship discussion board. 
Or write to Dear Abby.
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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