Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
You are not logged in.
The Eggcorn Forum and the Eggcorn Database are currently in the process of being converted into static sites.
Once the conversion is complete, all existing posts are expected to still be accessible at their original URLs. However, no new posts will be possible.
Feel free to comment on the relevant forum threads.
Chris -- 2025-05-10
I have seen this on many menus. I’m new to this, so I am not sure that this is a true eggcorn. I believe the origin for this is lazy pronunciation, failing to give appropriate enunciation of both consonants (“d” and “t”) in this combination. Anyway, here it is!
Offline
Welcome, lawmel. This kind of thing is a point of contention among us at times. I’m convinced that grammar is in general meaningful, and thus inclined to be somewhat sympathetic to the view that a slight grammatical change like this one, be it inspired by lazy pronunciation or not, can constitute a kind of acorn. But I think we’re all in agreement that it is at best a subtle, not-very-striking sort of meaning change, and thus this would be, if an acorn at all, not a first-class one. Still, you’re demonstrating a good ear, and this is certainly a real variant.
.
I seem to remember (though I’m too lazy/busy to look it up at the moment) that what we now call ice cream was originally iced cream ; I would assume the etymological path would be parallel.
*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .
Offline
Just like ‘skimmed milk’ turned into ‘skim milk.’
Offline
Serendipitously, this is being discussed on the Language Log:
On the plain in Spain where it mainly rains.
Offline