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Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
Is this an eggcorn?
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Well, there certainly is a military component among the definitions of battery.
Main Entry: bat·tery
Pronunciation: \ˈba-t(ə-)rē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural bat·ter·ies
Etymology: Anglo-French baterie, from batre to beat, from Latin battuere
Date: 1531
1 a: the act of battering or beating b: an offensive touching or use of force on a person without the person’s consent — compare assault 2a
2[Middle French batterie, from battre to beat] a: a grouping of artillery pieces for tactical purposes b: the guns of a warship
Main Entry: 1bat·ter
Pronunciation: \ˈba-tər\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English bateren, probably frequentative of batten to bat, from bat
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 a: to beat with successive blows so as to bruise, shatter, or demolish b: bombard
2: to subject to strong, overwhelming, or repeated attack <battered by forces of change>
3: to wear or damage by hard usage or blows <a battered old hat>
intransitive verb
: to strike heavily and repeatedly : beat
The words are related, it would seem. So perhaps there is really no new imagery unless the speaker is somehow thinking of the electrical battery, but then I can’t figure out what they might be thinking of or picturing.
Feeling quite combobulated.
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