Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
Conkers are the nuts of the Horse-Chestnut tree and are used in the chilren’s game, ‘conkers’. Holes are made through the nuts and string passed through the hole and knotted. Each player in turn tries to smash the opponent’s conker. ‘Conker’ is, apparently, a 19th century dialect word derived from the French conque, meaning ‘conche,’ the game originally being played with snail-shells. In every game one player or conker is beaten, or conquered, hence the possible eggcorn ‘conquers.’
They tax us to death, don’t listen to us on the European constitution and bring in silly laws like playing conquers now means we have to wear safety goggles …
blog.myspace.com/welsh_writer – 79k – Cached
Soon any scene where kids are playing conquers will be cut out, or someone riding a bike without a helmet. I just like episodes to be complete. ...
www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=17851158 – 133k – Cached
Butt the worst… the worst was when I got bonked on the head whilst playing conquers with no less than a seasoned conquer, boy I miss those flakes …
www.demonoid.com/files/details/1124547/5426554/ – 28k – Cached
They tax us to death, don’t listen to us on the European constitution and bring in silly laws like playing conquers now means we have to wear safety goggles …
blog.myspace.com/welsh_writer – 79k – Cached -
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While there is a definite connection between the object of the game (to “conquer”) and its name (“conkers”), I suspect that it’s a variant spelling and its history rather than an unintentional usage.
The game of conkers probably evolved from a game called ‘conquerors’, which was originally played with snail (conch) shells….There are, of course, many regional variations in the rules of the game and it has also been known by different names. In parts of the Midlands around Worcestershire it was known as ‘oblionker’ (pron. obly-onker) and play was accompanied by such rhymes as ‘Obli, obli, onker, my first conker (conquer)’.
http://www.worldconkerchampionships.com … nkers.html
Now that I’m more confused after my mole >> mold conjecture, I’m not sure if the above strengthens or weakens the case?
Last edited by Brooksie99 (2007-11-01 21:08:03)
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Thanks, Brooksie, I wasn’t aware of a game called ‘conquerers.’ My Shorter Oxford gave ”[f. dial. conker snail-shell, presumably f. CONCH; assoc. w. conquer.] I assumed that ‘conquer’ was an early eggcorn and proceeded accordingly, though I’m still not convinced that it isn’t; conch-conker-conquer still seems the more reasonable sequence. I never fret about near misses, however, or even far ones, as I genuinely find them all equally interesting…
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