Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
A breach in this sense is a gap in a barrier or fortification: “Once more into the breach dear friends, once more, or close up the wall with our English dead..” Henry V
To ‘step into the breach’ is to take on a task which others are unwilling to undertake. To ‘step into the breeches’ takes this notion a little further, I fear. Are these potential eggcorners thinking ‘breaches’ or ‘britches’?
William J. Clinton Foundation “Speech: Remarks at CB Richard Ellis …The truth is that people like you and me are going to have to find ways to step into the breeches left in the emerging globalization pattern, ...
www.clintonfoundation.org/030904-sp-cf- … ks-at-c… – 77k
I seem to recall such things tend to go out around this time of year … can any othee canucks step into the breeches here? ...
omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/mailing_lists/CLA-L/1999/11/0199.php – 7k –
Preamble: A warm welcome was extended to Steve Bennett who has nobly volunteered to step into the breeches of Nick Telford-Reed as K and B rep. Yay Steve! ...
www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/.../mcrminutes/200 … 821ab5fc60 – 4k
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At times I wonder what influence idioms (which contain the eggcorn word) have upon the meaning. In this case, the one idiom which comes to mind is “too big for one’s breeches.” Perhaps in this case, the figurative meaning of “breeches” is what’s retained—and indeed, expanded upon.
The Idiom Connection
clothes idioms and quizzes. ... He is too big for his breeches and needs someone to make him realize that he is not very important. ...
www.idiomconnection.com/clothes.html
In general, I think many word misusages are still eggcorns in spite of a certain degree of cross breeding from idioms. By the way, perhaps that’s an avenue for insight: Googling the eggcorn word side-by-side with the word “idiom” to see which idioms might be exerting subconscious influence on the meaning!
Last edited by jorkel (2006-11-05 13:59:14)
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