Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
You are not logged in.
Registrations are currently closed because of a technical problem. Please send email to
The forum administrator reserves the right to request users to plausibly demonstrate that they are real people with an interest in the topic of eggcorns. Otherwise they may be removed with no further justification. Likewise, accounts that have not been used for posting may be removed.
Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
In an email to a colleague, thanking this person for always being ‘on point’ in meetings—i.e., we can rely on her to be present and be a source of information and deliver it concisely to the group. My former-dancer-self wondered if this could be eggcorned with “en pointe” which, to me, connotes being on being called on to perform with accuracy (e.g., dancing on your toes).
Offline
Interesting question. There is a Wikipedia page that considers some of the different uses for on point and tries to separate them, here. Most seem metaphorically interchangeable. One could look for examples where en pointe is used to imply on topic.
Staying on point means more to me than staying on topic, however. I can’t isolate it from military and sports contexts. In itself, use of on point in business meetings is already eggcornically or at least metaphorically contaminated.
Last edited by burred (2016-05-27 10:14:51)
Offline
How interesting! Can’t say I’ve ever heard it used in either the military or sports contexts…though I don’t really get around much in those circles! I hear it mostly at work—perhaps from my peer “American youths”! Thanks for the link!
Offline