Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
A ‘ringing in the ears’ (380,000 ghits) is a common expression and self-explanatory, but ‘ringing in the years’ (20 ghits) is not. The latter could have something to do with age-related tinnitus or a noisy birthday celebration, but the alternative imagery is a bit weak for full eggcorn status I fear. You can, of course, ring in a year as happens with churchbells on New Year’s Eve, and also have a ring in an ear, or rings in both ears and elsewhere.
I suspect a subliminal influence from Steely Dan may be at work here too; ‘reeling in the ears’ (22 ghits) is a fine image for musicians fishing for a bigger audience…
At the March 2001 VA audiological examination the veteran made complaints of ringing in the years since the 1950s. While VA examiners have noted the …
www.va.gov/vetapp03/Files/0331564.txt – 19k – Cached
“It’s like the ringing in the years and visions and constantly wondering what’s going on. So [in] almost … every scene we do now, it’s that thing where …
www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=2&id=42382 – 43k – Cached
In some cases the individual has some warning signs like blurring of vision, tingling, sensitivity to light, ringing in the years etc., ...
www.mathruchhaya.org/nlmigraine.htm – 6k – Cached
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“Ring in the New Year” gets 374,000 Google hits. Perhaps some people just drop “new” when speaking about the aggregate of several years.
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