Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
Overheard at work the other day.
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Ha! That’s an awesome eggcorn! (Or at least potentially).
Animal imagery converted to polite euphemisms for excrement! How delightful that it errs on the side of the less vulgar! (And very appropriate that such an expression be overheard in an office setting where such standards might apply).
As always, one has to suspect an intentional reshaping of the language here. Is there any way to go back and question the utterer without looking like a complete fool?
We should also have someone expound on the meaning of the original for the sake of completeness.
Last edited by jorkel (2008-01-21 15:12:00)
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The guy’s world wise, but no intellectual. I’d say it was unintentional.
And now, just so I’ve done my due diligence: 15 hits on Google for “crock and bull story.” One looks intentional and the other is in a phrase list, so I’d make it 13 or so without dupes.
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I think there’s an image switch. I agree, I think this is an awesome eggcorn.
“Bull——” and “a crock of——” are well known and OFTEN shorted (“what a crock!” someone will say; or, “that’s no bull” ); “folk-tale/fantasy cocks and bulls” (the Bremen Town Musicians not withstanding) are just not spoken of anymore.
If you search “crock and bull,” without the “story,” you’ll get 245 (one of which is this post).
Last edited by TootsNYC (2008-01-22 13:07:53)
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