Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
The Eggcorn Database notes the transformation of “desist†into “decease†in the phrase “cease and desist†(i.e., the phrase becomes “cease and deceaseâ€). The substitution of “decease†for “desist†is much wider ranging than just this phrase, however. Four examples are below. Curiously, the majority of the web examples I examined seem to arise from African sources.
Report of an ordination sermon in Africa: “To the Christians, His Lordship called on them to be a source of protection and guide to the priests and to decease from all forms of scandals about the priests.â€
“Comment on BBC article by a person from Sierra Leone:”: “I call on all political leaders to decease from war and involve in good governance to their people.â€
News release from Russian news agency: “It appears that Russian policy makers are unlikely to decease from their drive to push for alternative reserve currencies, and also any apparent efforts to prop up the US dollar will be short-lived.â€
Post on photo forum: “I respectfully request you to decease from these kind of picturesâ€
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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More a blend than an eggcorn? Certainly a blend, and different-enough sounding to make it less eggcornish.
*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .
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