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Chris -- 2025-05-10
Last month I heard an oxygenarian priest, while talking about Matthew 23:5, refer to the “phylactrophies†of the Pharisees.
Matthew 23:5 in the KJV reads: “But all their works they do for to be seen of men they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments.†“Phylactery” is based on the Greek word for the Jewish tefillin.
An addition to our list of religious eggcorns.
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I presume you’re thinking that the priest saw the ‘trophy’ part as something won, or highly valued? A remembrance? The Gk root -trophy would be ‘feeding’, so a phylactrophy might be “nourished by (or living from) what is guarded”. Which would make beautiful sense if you think about it.
Edit: OK, I’m a bit obtuse (I’d like to say “some times”). I should have seen immediately that the trophy would be like an MVP trophy, with a base and plaque and so on.
Last edited by David Bird (2011-11-18 11:58:17)
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I was thinking more of the “sports trophy” sense.
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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I love those mind reading moments.
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