Eggcorn Forum

The description of cattle theft as “rustling”, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary, dates from the 19th century. It probably came from an American slang use of rustling as “moving about vigorously.” The image of vigorous movement is reborn in the eggcorn “cattle wrestling.”

Roseanne Barr supplies the voice of a cow who tries to save a ranch from an evil cattle wrestler. (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ … cd.00.html)

Her boyfriend and well-known cattle wrestler, The Frisco Kid … (http://www.blairmansion.com/cat_deadman.php)

In order to save their idyllic ranch from foreclosure, three dairy cows try to corral a yodeling cattle wrestler. (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P1-93121133.html)

The Brikama Magistrates’ Court … granted court bail to one Bamba Bah in the sum of D100,000 for alleged cattle wrestling. (http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/articl … ed-on-bail)

There is another potential eggcorn that appears to be based on wrestling. If this is a true eggcorn, it would stem from the reimaging of “restless” into something akin to “wrestle-ous”:

And it’s time I was leavin’ ‘Cause this West Texas cowboy is wrestless again. (http://www.mp3lyrics.org/k/kenny-rogers/saying/)

Wrestless legs (medical condition): A neurological disorder where legs develop and crawling, aching skin sensation which is relived by moving the legs. (http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/medical/w … s_legs.htm)

ever feel wrestless and have no idea why. (http://atome.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/t … -the-week/)

“The Natives are Wrestless” does not mean what you think … (http://fbcelzambia.blogspot.com/2007/08 … tless.html)

Substituting “wrestle” for “wrest”, as in “wrestle control from”, is already in the database.