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Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2006-09-05 11:57:30

jorkel
Eggcornista
Registered: 2006-08-08
Posts: 1456

YOUTH IN ASIA (euthanasia)

From the website: http://ilx.wh3rd.net/thread.php?msgid=4047324

I thought euthanasia was “youth in asia” and was understanably confused when people were asking should it be legal. And this was in high school sheepish look. —Trayce (trayc…), December 3rd, 2003.
...
Another example:
nothing but bonfires » Blog Archive » The Youth In AsiaI have to laugh like hell at “Youth in Asia” because when I was a kid, that is exactly what I thought they were saying when I heard “euthanasia” on the TV …
www.nothingbutbonfires.com/?p=130 – 35k – Cached – Similar pages

There’s nothing like the testimony from the mis-interpreters (above) as the cornerstone for an eggcorn. As long as they aren’t lying, their imagery is spelled out for us in their own words.

Google counts on Sept 5, 2006
11,900,000 euthanasia
68,200 “youth in asia” (most not relevant)
Analysis by Joe Krozel

My only problem with this eggcorn is the following: how does the misinterpreter re-use the words “youth in Asia” in any OTHER context after mishearing the word “euthanasia”? The only possible context would be puzzlement, e.g., “why are people opposed to youth in Asia?” But beyond that, the neologism would be effectively dead: it would never reappear in any future conversations. I defy anyone to find a serious, but naive usage of “youth in asia” from among those 68,200 citations.

...
...
As an aside, “youth in Asia” is used in contexts where the literal meaning of those words apply. For example…

New publication : Youth in Transition: The Challenges of …If you are interested by the situation of youth in Asia, UNESCO invites you to consult a new book that offers up-to-date information related to this topic: ...
portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=30677&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html – 31k – Cached – Similar pages

It is interesting that this poster could have used the phrase “Young people in Asia” or “Teens in Asia” or “Children in Asia” or whatever. I suspect the selection of the phrase “youth in Asia” is subconsciously directed by one’s knowledge of the word “euthanasia.” Youth tops the list…

68,200 “youth in Asia”
53,100 “children in Asia”
28,400 “kids in Asia”
10,400 “teens in Asia”
1150 “adolescents in Asia”
630 “young people in Asia”

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#2 2010-08-28 16:16:34

David Bird
Eggcornista
From: The Hammer, Ontario
Registered: 2009-07-28
Posts: 1702

Re: YOUTH IN ASIA (euthanasia)

I came across a tamer version of this misapprehension in the form of “youthanize”. Still doesn’t make any sense, though.

Barking dog problem
Do you think youthanizing an animal is cruel ? They do it all the time because people wont adopt them or pick them up .

Pet dumping
Youthanizing your family pet is not easy.

See also the repeat post: http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/forum/view … p?id=2997. Connected phonetically to “youthamism”, too: http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/english/1106/youthamism/

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#3 2010-08-28 21:46:52

jorkel
Eggcornista
Registered: 2006-08-08
Posts: 1456

Re: YOUTH IN ASIA (euthanasia)

I think youthanize stands a better chance than “youth in Asia” for re-interpretation as an eggcorn. It’s possible we’ll find an imagery that isn’t nonsensical, but for now nothing seems to be popping right out.

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