Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
I’m not sure these two terms mean exactly the same thing, but it seems to me people use them interchangeably. Does “pang” merely suggest an intense craving, as opposed to actual abdominal pain caused by hunger? I’d be curious to know if anyone has researched these terms thoroughly.
Google hits:
hunger pain 4440
hunger pang 1200
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Dictionary.com says
1. A sudden sharp spasm of pain. See Synonyms at pain.
2. A sudden sharp feeling of emotional distress.
I also made a post about the difference for birth pains, and birth pangs. Oddly enough dictionary.com cites definitions for both hunger pains and pangs giving them essentially the same meaning, yet not for birth pains, only birth pangs. Although whats even more odd is that a synonym for birth pangs dictionary.com lists labor pains.
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