Eggcorn Forum

Don’t remember seeing this before:

Assistant District Attorney Moss had put the defendant through a grueling that nearly caused him to break down.

He gave them such a grueling that they began to think they had joined the legion of the damned,

I got a grueling from my mum the other day when she told me to go and study for my upcoming exams

Whilst watching more senior exec members taking a grueling from environmentalists on the first day to being attacked by a senior member in the Big House

She was prepared for a grueling about her family, but much to her surprise she was able to steer the conversation to Dr. Harland and his wife’s background.

When he met with the committee, and later when all the candidates met in the ‘dog ‘n pony’ show, I grueled him mercilessly

Being grilled can be an emotionally grueling experience, so I suppose that would be the rationale behind this. In fact you might almost define a grilling as a fierce or grueling examination or investigation.
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Grueling is a bit of an oddball word, apparently derived from an obsolete verb to gruel meaning to exhaust or punish. Grilling is from cooking on a grill.

The round-tripper is bound to be out there. I only looked long enough to find this:

Pepper readily ate her gruelled chicken and did not suspect anything. Mint (who is always fussy) smelled the food and walked away.

(nb. I wonder if grueling has some connection with cruel treatment for some speakers. Anybody know of any evidence that way?)