Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
Never mind armed vessels threatening others to heave to or else…!
I guess the shot across the bough is to let the kids up in the tree house know that it’s time to come down or they’ll miss supper, and be in REAL trouble.
Here are some folks firing up into the trees:
http://www.shopstewards.net/old-site/news.114.htm
http://camelsback23.blogspot.com/2007/1 … bough.html
http://seemeplay.net/Community/The-Dads … need-skill
http://www.newschannel5.com/news/lawmak … ity-office
https://www.onfaith.co/onfaith/2015/11/ … uism/38052
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-a-g … 23702.html
Enjoy!
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Welcome to the Eggcorn Forum, Cannoneer!
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In order for “a shot across the bough” to be an eggcorn, it has to make sense in context, Cannoneer. If a plausible alternate meaning in context is not apparent, we need some first person testimony to justify the exalted status of eggcorn. Given the number of people who refer to “the bough of the ship”, one might be inclined toward thinking it’s a misspelling or WTF typo substitution of a homonym. Perhaps some think that the bough of a ship is naval slang, or early shipbuilding practice?
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Reported originally (as “shot over the bough”) in a Zwicky Language Log column that attributed it to Robert Coren. Later entered into the Eggcorn Database.
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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kem wrote:
Reported originally (as “shot over the bough”) in a Zwicky Language Log column that attributed it to Robert Coren. Later entered into the Eggcorn Database.
Thanks for pointing me to that link;
Glad you caught this one and recorded it.
I’ve perused the eggcorn database for many years
and have enjoyed it greatly.
Last edited by Cannoneer (2016-12-21 11:18:41)
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