Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
Seen in an email recently. Posted first on metafilter (http://ask.metafilter.com/169642/Is-Coo … Invited-OK), where it was suggested I submit to the eggcorn database.
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I think the fact that you got someone (other than the original writer) to give you their sincere explanation for what this meant probably does make it an eggcorn.
To summarize the thread on metafilter: ThenZero received an email coordinately inviting same to an event. ThenZero believed this should be “cordially” but a friend expressed the contrary opinion that “coordinately” was appropriate when inviting a group.
It might help us to see the sentence where the original occurred, for context…
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Here is the original sentence:
“You are coordinately invited to the thesis defense starting at 1:30 PM.”
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Also, for reference, here is the rest of the email with names, locations, and paper titles edited out:
“Today in Room X, Mr. Y will be presenting his master thesis.
The title of Mr. Y’s thesis is ’....’
You are coordinately invited to the thesis defense starting at 1:30 PM.”
This email was sent to engineering students and faculty (not the majority of faculty or students at the University).
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It seems pretty clear to me that this was conscious wordplay—clever and entertaining, but not an eggcorn.
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Later—sorry, I seem to have been asleep for the last couple of posts! If the X and Y are your contributions, substituting for a real name and place, it seems less clear that this is wordplay. Still the fact that it was sent to engineering students and faculty is somewhat suggestive. It could also be a “cupertino†(spell-checker’s mindless correction of an error): E.g. if the original had been “cordinally†the spell-checker might well have suggested or imposed “coordinately†rather than “cordiallyâ€. Some people have personally- or professionally-optimized spell-checkers, and I would guess that coordinates are likely to be more important than cordiality for grad students in engineering.
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In any case, unless it is standard for the user and has a plausible semantic justification in that user’s mind, it doesn’t add up to an eggcorn, for me.
Last edited by DavidTuggy (2010-11-06 17:11:43)
*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .
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I will ask him and get back to you.
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