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Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2008-07-29 13:48:28

kem
Eggcornista
From: Victoria, BC
Registered: 2007-08-28
Posts: 2851

earsay << hearsay

The noun “hearsay,” deriving from the phrase “to hear say,” refers to reported information that may not be reliable. A few people substitute “ear” for “hear” to get “earsay.” Surprisingly, “hear” and “ear” do not share an etymology.

BBC forum: “even on a thread yesterday a saints fan said exactly that I work in StHelens 1 day a week 2 of my best mates are season ticket holders so this is not just earsay” (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A31856222)

Article from Africa News: “we cannot accept to see the government frustrating and persecuting the Kass FM simply because of the earsay related issues.” (http://blog.jaluo.com/?p=1017)

About a ghost story, reported in the book Forts and Palaces of the Western Himalayas: “It is not an earsay, but the reality can be confirmed from the old people of the society” (http://books.google.com/books?id=l2oZiy … &ct=result)

Forum post: “Far to many times Police arrest people on some earsay evidence and put people through the ringer only to find it was rubbish” (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/show … p=25411778)

No surprise that these examples come from Britain and the commonwealth. H-droppers. Nuff said.


Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.

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#2 2008-07-29 14:34:24

DavidTuggy
Eggcornista
From: Mexico
Registered: 2007-10-11
Posts: 2713
Website

Re: earsay << hearsay

Don’t speak within hearshot if you don’t want your words to become earsay.

Once out of hearshot of the men, Legolas spoke softly. It sounded a strange compared to the tone of voice he had used earlier, but ..

Simon closed the door behind him. and waited a while till they believed he was far enough out of hearshot and then burst into laughter.

Why should I? It’s not like the people who grew, transported, or processed it are within hearshot.

(And many others.) Anyway, ear<>hear is a good round-tripper


*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 .)

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#3 2008-07-30 12:49:52

nilep
Eggcornista
Registered: 2007-03-21
Posts: 291

Re: earsay << hearsay

I wonder if this is more prevalent among speakers who don’t pronounce H? If hear and ear are effectively homophones, this might be a stealth eggcorn, visible only through hear-spelling.

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#4 2008-08-15 11:02:35

kem
Eggcornista
From: Victoria, BC
Registered: 2007-08-28
Posts: 2851

Re: earsay << hearsay

Today I came across the phrase “all hears” (all ears). At least 50 unique examples on the web. Examples:

Software forum: If you have a good reason to start VLC as root, I am all hears.” (http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php … 6&p=155909)

Baseball fan forum: “I am all hears if someone has some extra tickets or a better hook up on here.” (http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=185&f=2826&t=2759244)

Self-description on a Friendster page: “I am all hears for anyone who feels that they have no one to talk to….” (http://profiles.friendster.com/27505229#moreabout)


Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.

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#5 2009-03-11 23:04:38

burred
Eggcornista
From: Montreal
Registered: 2008-03-17
Posts: 1112

Re: earsay << hearsay

Here’s another way to hear hearsay – as mere here-say.

A comment today on the CBC news site, which is in the first quote below, led me to a previous mention of “heresay” substituted for “hearsay” by clas0024, in the database from 2006 (http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/forum/view … hp?id=1096). Here-say is alive and well. AltaVista reports 34,600 uAVhits for “just heresay” and 3,300 for “here-say”. The way it is being seen by the users might be what is merely being said here, without real authority (?).

Just ask around if you don’t want to take my here-say. (http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/1 … alcomments)

History, Heresy, Heresay (http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/a … y-heresay/)

EVERYONE ON THE INTERNET IS A KNOW IT ALL SO I DONT KNOW THE REAL TRUTH JUST HERE SAY I GUESS. (http://www.deanguitars.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47539)

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