Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
I found out yesterday that the automatic tea-making machine that I always thought was “Teasmaid” is actually called a “Teasmade”. A quick internet search will show that I am far from alone in this.
Since a maid would bring you tea in bed, I think this might count as a genuine eggcorn and not a mere homophone.
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So it’s a Teasmade is it? Pretty poor name, that. Yes, you are far from alone and it’s a genuine eggcorn as far as I’m concerned. Welcome to the forum, Linda.
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Product names and business slogans are suspect eggcorns because they are often created with puns in mind.
In this case, though, no pun seems to be intended. The original product was apparently called “teesmade,” making a misleading nod to the river Tees (i.e., “teesmade” = “made along the river Tees”). See the company history at http://www.teawaker.com/absolom.htm So “teasmade,” the spelling later adopted, might be a pun or an eggcorn on the original name, and “teasmaid” and eggcorn of an eggcorn/pun.
Just curious: Is “teasmade” a genericized trademark, like “aspirin” and “kleenex” and “vaseline?” That is, do Brits refer to all automatic tea machines as “teasmades?” If so, you are to be commended. The English speaking coffee crowd, which tends to be centered in North America, has not come up with a good moniker to replace the awkward “automatic coffee maker/machine.” No brand name has achieved enough dominance to force a substitution.
Last edited by kem (2010-11-18 12:14:16)
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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...do Brits refer to all automatic tea machines as “teasmades?â€
Well, I’ve never heard them called anything else, but they’re rarely mentioned these days – I had thought they were a thing of the past, but apparently not.
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