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Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2014-05-16 15:33:35

kem
Eggcornista
From: Victoria, BC
Registered: 2007-08-28
Posts: 2851

abruption << eruption

“Abruption” is an old word (earliest citation, sixteenth century) for a sudden curtailment. Of any kind. In current English the term is mostly confined to medical contexts, where it denotes an unexpected organ tear-away (e.g., placental abruption).

The adjectival base, “abrupt,” is much more common, of course, and the adjective may be the reason that volcanic eruptions, especially those that are not anticipated, are in some minds “volcanic abruptions:”

Tweet leadin to pictures: “Flower blooming after Indonesia volcano abruption.”

Comment on news from source in China “I don’t like to watch or listen to news. Because most of the news report negative things like murders, wars, conflicts, earthquakes, volcano abruption and so on “

Description of paper. Again, Chinese source: “This paper analyzes and studies the geological condition,volcanic activity centre,volcano series,volcano abruption -sedimentary cycle,stratum and composition of copper ore in Dahong Mountain,”

Blog comment: “They seem to be fascinated with volcanic abruptions around the world”


Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.

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#2 2014-05-17 07:28:44

DavidTuggy
Eggcornista
From: Mexico
Registered: 2007-10-11
Posts: 2714
Website

Re: abruption << eruption

Makes very good sense.


*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .

(Possible Corollary: it is, and we are .)

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#3 2014-05-17 17:42:09

DavidTuggy
Eggcornista
From: Mexico
Registered: 2007-10-11
Posts: 2714
Website

Re: abruption << eruption

I’m reminded of a sister-in-law saying (years ago now) of her teenaged offspring:

It’s like having a volcano in the house, always threatening to disrupt. It’s like you’re walking around on bombshells!

(Two that always felt like they got the point better than the standard expressions they replaced. I mean —who cares if you smash a few eggshells? Bombshells, on the other hand, might really disrupt things!)


*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .

(Possible Corollary: it is, and we are .)

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