Eggcorn Forum

Discussions about eggcorns and related topics

You are not logged in.

Announcement

Registrations are currently closed because of a technical problem. Please send email to if you wish to register.

The forum administrator reserves the right to request users to plausibly demonstrate that they are real people with an interest in the topic of eggcorns. Otherwise they may be removed with no further justification. Likewise, accounts that have not been used for posting may be removed.

Thanks for your understanding.

Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2007-07-10 14:58:45

Dadge
Eggcornista
Registered: 2005-11-10
Posts: 82

"a bum rep" vs. "a bum rap"

The general slang meaning of “rap” is “blame” or “criticism”, so the literal meaning of “bum rap” isn’t confined to “wrong conviction”.

Offline

 

#2 2007-07-10 17:36:32

booboo
Eggcornista
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2007-04-01
Posts: 179

Re: "a bum rep" vs. "a bum rap"

Sounds like you on to something here. Some examples where “rep” seems synonymouse with “reputation”:

So I guess my question is, why do adverbs get such a bum rep? Aren’t they all right sometimes? Post Mon Aug 16, 2004 8:17 pm, View user’s profile Send …
bbs.chrismoore.com/viewtopic.php?p=8565&sid=2e8e06c00235e968e2c243cc66c50abb – 50k – Supplemental Result – Cached – Similar pages

I’m not getting a dig at the scene, just pointing out it gets a bum rep because of these idiots. Putting that aside, can you recommend any club nights to …
www.altnation.com/forums/electronica-da … error.html – 62k – Supplemental Result – Cached – Similar pages

Most of that state has got a bum rep. It’s actually a pretty nice place. Lookin’ f’wd to Petit Jean!) ‘53 B-model N146YS SN:25713 …
www.cessna170.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php? … d=d6a6d… – 78k – Supplemental Result

The similarity between “rap” meaning “blame” or “criticism”, and “rep” meaning “reputation”, I think makes the case of an eggcorn stronger. I don’t believe the understanding of “rap” as slang is as commonplace as the understanding of the word “reputation”. In this context “rap” could easily be misunderstood to have been uttered “rep”- a classic method of eggcorn creation.

Offline

 

#3 2007-07-10 20:27:00

jorkel
Eggcornista
Registered: 2006-08-08
Posts: 1456

Re: "a bum rep" vs. "a bum rap"

I think this eggcorn was inevitable the minute street-talking people started using “rep” as shorthand for “reputation.” It was only a matter of time before the adjective “bum” joined up with it …and was subliminally reinforced by the already-existing “bum rap” construction. So, that’s my take on the sequence of things.

Offline

 

#4 2007-07-13 11:58:21

huevomaiztro
Member
Registered: 2007-07-06
Posts: 23

Re: "a bum rep" vs. "a bum rap"

How do we know they don’t mean “panhandler’s agent”? If so, I guess it’s a double-yolked eggcorn!

Offline

 

#5 2013-08-01 12:57:20

DavidTuggy
Eggcornista
From: Mexico
Registered: 2007-10-11
Posts: 2714
Website

Re: "a bum rep" vs. "a bum rap"

Might “a bum (=undeservedly bad) representation” fit in there somewhere too?


*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .

(Possible Corollary: it is, and we are .)

Offline

 

Board footer

Powered by PunBB
PunBB is © 2002–2005 Rickard Andersson
Individual posters retain the copyright to their posts.

RSS feeds: active topicsall new posts