Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
A video narrator i heard online today referred to a biographical movie as a “biopic”. There’s nothing unusual about that; “biopic” is short for “biographical (motion) picture”, and is common. What set this example apart is that he pronounced it “bi-OP-ic”, with the accent on what he thought was the second syllable. So instead of “bio” meaning “life” and “pic” for “picture”, this guy seems to be assuming (however unconsciously) the root “op-”, referring to eyes or seeing, which makes sense in reference to movies, which we watch. I think this is a sort of eggcorn—or is there a different jargon term for this kind of thing?
Last edited by Dixon Wragg (2016-10-06 05:52:06)
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My internal voice often pronounces it Bi-OP-ic, but it never comes out of my mouth that way, because I know what it really is. I see this as heavily influenced by biopsy.
“I always wanted to be somebody. I should have been more specific.” – Lily Tomlin
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