Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
A parcel shelf is the shelf found behind the back seat of a car. It’s normally removable. It’s also usually pretty flimsy, and if I actually put parcels on my parcel shelf it’d probably collapse. At the very least, I’d struggle to see out the back window. I’m guessing the term “parcel shelf” has a long history going back to the days of horse-drawn carriages, but I really don’t know. I haven’t found anything about the origin of the term online.
Anyway, to get to the point of this post, I’ve heard “parcel shelf” rendered as “partial shelf”. This new version makes more sense to me (living in the 21st century) than the original. Because you can take it off, it’s only intermittently/partially there, and its flimsiness makes it seem like it’s not a proper/full shelf. There’s probably also some anticipation going on with the “sh” sound of shelf, and “part and parcel” possibly plays a part too.
I’m getting heaps of Google results for this: “partial shelf” + car gives me over 8000 (not that they’re all anything to do with parcel shelves of course). Here are just a few:
Good at first but slow to get some items repaireed or replaced as agreed upon purchase of the car. took 4 weeks to get my partial shelf.
http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/o … 022093416/
I usually urge folks not to use the partial shelf, lol
https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v= … a9I8A13QiQ
Tried to get a travel system buggy in the boot a few years ago and there was just no way it would go in there! – Unless you remove the partial shelf anfd have it sticking up covering the back window!! lol
http://community.babycentre.co.uk/post/ … 19439&pd=0
Car looks good mate and your back light looks good as well with the partial shelf! Got to do all these myself but laziness gets in the way :p haha
http://www.bmwforums.info/bmw-projects/ … print.html
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The switch works well. We’ve had a number of car-related eggcorns. Windowshield is one. Wind (wing) mirror.
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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“Parcel shelf” you say? The arcana you learn on here. I do like the sound transfer in partial shelf. Though it makes no sense, the full swap would be …
today i got the front trunk, under the dash, and under the partial self primed.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/archiv … index.html
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My sister tells me that many US Postal Service employees say “partial” for “parcel”, although I’m sure most of them would write the word correctly,
“I always wanted to be somebody. I should have been more specific.” – Lily Tomlin
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An instant favourite, and another example where the acorn makes less sense than the eggcorn. I think it should be renamed ‘partial’ as ‘parcel’ encourages misuse. Who would use it for parcels? You’d lose the rear view, and should you need to brake you get beaned on the back of the nut by a box in wrappings. A partial shelf, on the other hand, describes a shelf which has had its corners nibbled away to accommodate the curve of the rear door.
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