Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
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Google counts on Nov. 29, 2006
43,900 “damaging testimony”
29,700 “damning testimony”
59 “damaging testimony” “damning testimony”—both in the same document
This example falls into my category of two words that are similar in sound and meaning being used interchangeably. Could one usage have originated as the eggcorn of the other? Who knows? The Google counts suggest that one is about as common as the other.
Some examples where both usages are found:
CNN.com – TranscriptsStepdaughter of Clara Harris Delivers Damaging Testimony; Explosion Rocks … But in Texas tonight, compelling, damning testimony against Clara Harris, ...
www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0301/29/cct.00.html – 71k – Cached – Similar pages
[PDF] Client: St. John’s University Station: WBBR Program: Big Picture …File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat – View as HTML
Sullivan, ex-CFO of World Com gives very damning testimony against his boss … probably be extremely damaging testimony against Misters Lay and Skilling. ...
www.stjohns.edu/media/3/b5172bc9039d42e … e4c80a.pdf – Similar pages
All about Lemuel Smith’s murder of Donna Payant, prison officer …It was damaging testimony and the defense knew it. ... within Greenhaven’s walls, the stage was set for the most important and damning testimony of all. ...
www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/ … th/11.html – 75k – Cached – Similar pages
TIMEasia.com | Deadly Politics | 1/15/2001Damning testimony rocks Estrada’s presidency as Manila struggles to recover from a series of … But even more damaging testimony came from Clarissa Ocampo, ...
www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2001/01 … bombs.html – 24k – Cached – Similar pages
A Woman Of Conviction… shaking her honey-blond hair and muttering in disagreement with damaging testimony. ... as their social triumphs were rendered into damning testimony. ...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/a … 01922.html – Similar pages
Half Moon Bay Memories & El Granada Observer » Vorhes NewtonEveryone in the courtroom anticipated Lorraine Newton’s damaging testimony. ... The prosecution team also bragged that they had damning testimony even if …
www.halfmoonbaymemories.com/category/vorhes-newton/ – 93k – Cached – Similar pages
Enron: TrialWatch: Fastow vs. Petrocelli, Day 2Such potentially damaging testimony was overshadowed by the battle between … He’s likely to also splice and dice any damning testimony Fastow has given …
blogs.chron.com/enrontrialwatch/archives/2006/03/fastow_vs_petro.html – 15k – Cached – Similar pages
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Jorkel, I think you’ve mentioned these before and I have been brooding over another example where it seems an eggcorn may have overtaken the original. I was under the impression that ‘wide blue yonder’ was the original (43,500 ghits) and was surprised that ‘wild blue yonder’ (313,000 ghits, but over a million before removing Werner Herzog references) should have risen to such prominence. I wasn’t sure whether it was worth posting so I’m grateful you’ve raised the matter again – thanks!
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Peter: You should post “Wide/wild blue yonder” as a separate entry so that it can be easily located by others wishing to comment on it. It is a nice find, and I think it is worthy of further discussion.
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