Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
In the Midwest, much is made of good seed for crops. Top seed is seed that grows fastest and best, survives drought and diseases and still produces. One should consider whether “grow like top seed” is not an eggcorn at all, but a mondegren in the ear of someone mishearing “grow like top seed” as “grow like Topsy” and whose active brain then created a story to explain “grow like top seed” as someone else’s error.
At least that’s how someone who grew up in Decatur, Illinois, the Soy Bean Capitol of the World, views this issue.
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Welcome to the Eggcorn website annpearl.
There are many language reshapings that could be arrived at both accidentally and intentionally. But, if there is just one person who naively utters “grow like top seed” because he mistakenly believes the imagery, then it qualifies as an eggcorn. (The only problem is that there’s no absolute way of knowing unless one obtains a first hand account, e.g., “I used to think that the phrase was…” Beyond that, eggcorn hunters try to rely on contextual clues).
Nevertheless, your Mondegreen explanation is certainly an interesting hypothesis. It would seem that many people continue to use the phrase “grows like top seed,” and I don’t know why so many would do so if they knew the correct phrase were actually “grows like Topsy.” I’m sure some people might utter it in a tongue-in-cheek manner, but just look at these next examples (and the ones in the Database). These all sound unintentional to me…
D: Transcript Focus Group 2What I have seen in the 23 years I’ve been here is a particular Mayor who loved growth and it just grew like top seed during his Administration and I …
www.townofcary.org/depts/pio/surveysres … on%202.htm – 148k – Cached – Similar pages
Banking, Issue 18, Evidence This industry grew like top seed because there was a void. I address this, Ms. Dickson, to OSFI and to all of you, if you have any input to provide. ...
www.parl.gc.ca/.../commbus/senate/Com-e … &comm_id=3 – 119k – Cached – Similar pages
Last edited by jorkel (2007-07-06 14:52:04)
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