Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
Is this an eggcorn?
“Prosperity theology is the belief that God shows approval through unequal distribution of mammon from heaven…In this view, the rich are different—God smiles upon them.” (Christian Crandall and Amy Eshleman (2003) A justification-suppression model of the expression and experience of prjudice. Psychological Bulletin 129 3, 414-446, p. 427.) Surely, the authors were aiming for ‘manna’ but also had ‘Mammon’ in mind?
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Welcome to the Forum, cslater.
My first thought was that you are right: the authors intended ‘manna’, but also had ‘Mammon’ in mind. If the sentence was thus the written equivalent of a slip of the tongue (I’ve sometimes heard this type of error called a “braino”, on parallel with typo.), the production would be a Fay/Cutler malapropism, rather than an eggcorn.
BUT, a Google search reveals 14 unique hits for “mammon from heaven”. It seems unlikely for a Fay/Cutler malapropism to recur that often on the web.
Most of these usages are puns.
I’m not particular about what to call it, though I think “salary†is probably more honest than “stipend†or “allowance.†(The former seems to temporary, and the latter to juvenile.) Maybe it could be referred to as Mammon from Heaven.
http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/11/ … -stipends/
‘Spend, Spend, and Spend’ or ‘Mammon from Heaven’, which greeted the budget announcement, it is clear that the government has embarked on a populist fiscal policy aimed at stimulating further economic activity.
http://www.bellingeninstitute.com.au/me … news&id=22
But a couple are either errors or eggcorns.
I heard somewhere that most of Matthew is a reflection on the Torah. If this is true then maybe the miracle feeding story is a reflection on the people of God in the wilderness being feed by mammon from heaven.
http://groups.google.com/group/Confessi … 477a7c4273
The old saying ‘nothing succeeds like success’ dictates that if this ownership is serious – that if they believe they have a great product on the field and are committed to Tampa Bay long term – then Sabathia is mammon from heaven – literally a once in a lifetime oppertunity.
http://mvn.com/mlb-indians/2008/06/26/b … -sabathia/
This analysis from the Arkansas Times is also interesting:
Words Feb. 23 [2006]
A right-wing pundit is caught in mid-howl by Chris Barrier:
“The close sequencing of the John Roberts and Samuel Alito nominations must have come as mammon from heaven for Lincoln and Pryor because it permitted having their cake and eating it, too; of voting for the first and against the second while reminding Arkansans that they have supported a majority of President Bush’s other nominees.â€
Barrier comments: “First, he uses two of the most worn clichés from the polemicist’s lexicon (‘manna from heaven’ and ‘having your cake’) in a single short paragraph. Second, intentionally or otherwise, he equates gifts from god (manna) with decadent materialism (mammon) — that is, he referred to ‘mammon from heaven.’ â€
[Edit: URL for the Arkansas Times piece:
http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/print. … f0e5a908b2 ]
Last edited by nilep (2008-10-01 13:02:45)
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