Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
It seems that some have heard “overstayed your welcome” as “overstate your welcome”. For example, in the instance that follows, either of these words could have been used:
“You mock me.” She said flatly, the hardness of her eyes penetrated his. “You overstate your welcome, junior.” (http://roleplayerguild.com/f8/school-of … ndex4.html)
In other cases, the connection is not as clear:
either way, don’t overstate your welcome. Always leave them wanting something more. (http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/sh … p=14617117)
Snapback rallies like the one where seeing today are fast, furious and tradable. However, you don’t want to overstate your welcome because you are on the wrong side of the market. (http://www.1option.com/index.php/global … e_careful/)
“Sakura, you have misused and overstated your welcome in this house,†Naruto said dangerously, (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4266544/3/Hold_My_Hand)
Another example was more interesting, but I think it’s a misuse of the word ‘overstated’ for ‘stated over and over’. After an effusive welcome to a newby from several members in a forum, another member offers his own unintentionally ‘back-ended’ welcome:
My colleagues have already overstated your welcome here. Don’t ever be afraid to pose a question or a thought. (http://www.truckstopcanada.ca/forum/sho … php?p=7873)
It’s easy to write or type “you’re” when intending to put “your”. But I wonder if the same substitution might in the following instances be intentional, understood as outstaying the original invitation, or overstaying “You’re welcome”:
Leave when you feel comfortable with it, don’t overstay you’re welcome. (http://www.theattractionforums.com/sex/ … e-ons.html)
Glad you guys could come over and hang out! Don’t worry about overstaying you’re welcome – you’re always welcome. (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu … D=56459755)
Eggcorn or malapropism? I admit that I’m not convinced by this one, largely because the “overstatement” of the welcome seems to be implied, not vocal. As always, I throw this entry upon the mercy of the “cornoscenti”.
Note added after sleeping on it: perhaps the moderator should shift this entry from the “Contribute” to the “Slips, Innovations and Reshapings” thread.
Last edited by burred (2009-03-16 08:36:22)
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I would consider “overstate your welcome” an eggcorn in some cases. There is little chance those words would have been strung together if “overstayed your welcome” didn’t exist first. This latter expression is idiomatic—or at least “in-the-language”—so the eggcorn has a some foundation. The imagery shift is OK.
Last edited by jorkel (2009-05-07 21:44:05)
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A couple of your examples look like eggcorns. You will find a number of other examples that appear to be eggcorns if you Google for “overstate my welcome.”
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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