Eggcorn Forum

Osprey seek prey, and the presence of the one within the other is not a coincidence. The name derives ultimately from L. avis prede, or “bird of prey.” In mid-15c. A.-Fr., they were ospriet. They had captured an os, a bone, in the time since the name’s adoption. Bones were also present in a relative, the ossifrage, L. for vulture or bone breaker. Osprey themselves were called ossifrages from about 1600. The Online ED says, “By this name (ossifrage) Pliny meant the lammergeier (from German, literally “lamb-vulture”), a very large Old World vulture that swallows and digests bones and was believed also to drop them from aloft to break them and get at the marrow. But in England and France, the word was transferred to the osprey, perhaps on similarity of sound between the two words.”

These days there are two main genera of osprey on the web, the amphibious feathered kind and an amphibious helicopter. In the process of generating lift to leave the water, both shake off a lot of spray. Little wonder they have both been tagged with offspray.

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facebook football fans NFC TRASH TALK seahawks are based offspray there isnt a bird called a seahawk but who wants to be an offspray -Champ

facebook helicopter fans Looks like an offspray, One that can lift like a helicopter and fly like a plane.

Photo site We also saw an offspray swoop and dive (almost towards us!). What delights in Americas first National park!

Art auction Wonderful art piece of an offspray and a heron as well as a face of a woman.

holiday snaps A hawk dive-bombed an offspray while a dog barked like crazy.

Deviant art Hah. Yeah, I think this is an offspray. You got this in Alaska, right?

Veteran forum I didn’t need someone to explain to me that the Air Commandos were returning from a mission in an offspray for me to understand why they were at that base.