dog-eat-dog » doggy-dog

Chiefly in:   doggy-dog world

Variant(s):  doggie-dog

Classification: English – final d/t-deletion

Spotted in the wild:

  • Americans are always in a rush, always looking at the clock, never waiting patiently. It’s a doggy dog world out there. (link)
  • Only those nations survive in this doggy dog world that consider their land, language, culture and freedom above all petty differences of religion, social class, and economic standing. (link)
  • the true matter is: it’s a doggy dog world out there and they’re all in it for the money. (link)
  • The guard may have just been saying what he thought was expected of him, but you can certainly see how a doggie dog world leads to homophobia. (link)
  • He took kids and taught them the ways to become successful in this doggie dog world, including me. (link)

Analyzed or reported by:

Nicholas W comments:

The phrase was used as a deliberate pun by rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg as a song title on his first album (lyrics here), the meaning, of course, being that he’s “on top of the world.” I’m sure this boosted its use as a genuine eggcorn.

| Comments Off link | entered by Ben Zimmer, 2005/05/07 |

pique » peak

Chiefly in:   peak one's interest

Classification: English

Spotted in the wild:

  • Financing The American Dream
    Do You Have What Investors Are Looking For? Find Out How To Peak Their Interests (link)
  • I think those in charge of the computer aided curriculum should spend some time hanging out with high school or college level students to find out what peaked their interest in computers at an earlier age. (link)
  • Short Stories Peak Children’s Interest in Reading Newspapers (Newspaper Association of America)
  • NANCE HAXTON: Is there a danger that despite our generosity that Australians may forget and move on?
    TIM COSTELLO: Yes there is, and you would expect there to be a peaking of interest, of media attention, of compassion. (The Delphos Herald, OH, February 14, 2005)

Analyzed or reported by:

The substitution pique>peak is very common. It also makes much sense, once the verb _peak_ is equipped with a causative sense and allowed to take a second argument (an object complement), just like _walk_ in “walk the dog” or _grow_ in “grow potatoes”.

| 4 comments | link | entered by Chris Waigl, 2005/02/15 |