Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
My fifteen-year-old committed this the other day, referring to “Dr. Scholl’s insults.” I can’t find any examples in the wild, though. Google asked me whether I was actually looking for “Dr. Scholl’s inserts,” which nicely suggests an origin for the “t” of “insult.” To put it differently, is “insult” a cross between “insole” and “insert”?
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Yes, sounds like a great blend (and a great malaprop), though not such a good eggcorn. Did your fifteen-year-old repeat it or otherwise give evidence of it being standard for him or her?
*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .
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Actually, I think “insert” for “insole” is more eggcornish since the type of thing you are talking about (Scholl’s Odor-Eaters etc) are inserted into the shoe as an additional or replacement insole.
I think insult is a bit too far away and more likely a one-off kind of thing
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