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wrought » rot

Chiefly in:   rot iron

Classification: English – cot/caught merger

Spotted in the wild:

  • As you enter my yard, I don’t have the archway as I did last year. This year I have a rot iron gate that is set up diagonally with the walkway that runs up to my porch. (link)
  • Reasonably priced, unique rot iron pieces are the specialty at Mexports. (H Texas Online)
  • I hesitated for a few minutes as I stared at the rot-iron gate. […] As we parked the car and got out, we made our way to the rot-iron fence that we came to a few days before. (link)
  • Plastic flowers in a rot iron pot (link)

Analyzed or reported by:

Todd Daniel, apparently a metalworking specialists, comments:

> One of the most confusing terms in the ornamental metals business is the phrase “wrought iron.” However, the confusion is understandable since even dictionaries cannot agree on a single definition The first thing to clear up is the spelling. Many consumers spell the metal “rod iron” or “rot iron.”
>
> Secondly, when the public talks about wrought iron, they could be referring to one of three things - actual wrought iron, hand forged items, or the “look” of wrought iron. Your challenge is to determine what the customer actually wants.

See also wrought iron » rod iron.

| 1 comment | link | entered by Chris W. (admin), 2005/04/04 |

wrought » rod

Chiefly in:   rod iron

Classification: English – /t/-flapping – cot/caught merger

Spotted in the wild:

  • A romantic suite with a rod iron queen bed and claw-foot tub/shower. (Front Street Inn, Wilmington, North Carolina)
  • $100 Rod Iron Glass End Table
    Come and check out this Rod Iron Glass Top End Table right here in our showroom. (link)
  • I have a picture centered in the center on the wall and 2 rod iron sconces on each side with a candle. (link)
  • Situated along swirls and scrolls of rod iron assuming a total configuration of the letter S, the metal symbols are chronologically arranged in relation to the legacy responsible for the development of Pine-Strawberry area. (Rim Country News, August 25, 1978)

Analyzed or reported by:

See also wrought iron » rot iron, and the discussion there.

| Comments Off link | entered by Chris Waigl, 2005/04/04 |

sloe » slow

Chiefly in:   slow-eyed , slow gin

Classification: English

Spotted in the wild:

  • Everyone dreams of an island paradise where the bounties of nature hang within easy reach, and if you’re too lazy to reach for them, a slow-eyed siren awaits your slightest wish. The Hana-Maui comes pretty close to the picture…any closer and I’d still be there! (link)
  • Miss Pam suspects foul play from Mr. Wong’s new business partner, the slow-eyed Gary Peterson. (link)
  • Khao San Road is a Grateful Dead show without the music. Slow-eyed people are gliding their way up the street in flowing linen clothing. (link)
  • I’ve read about raisins and gin for arthritis. When I went to the liquor store, they said slow gin is best for this remedy. (link)

Analyzed or reported by:

Sloe is another name for blackthorn (_Prunus spinosa_).

| 2 comments | link | entered by Chris Waigl, 2005/04/04 |

plantar » planter

Chiefly in:   planter warts

Variant(s):  planter's warts, planters' warts, planters warts

Classification: English

Spotted in the wild:

  • Planter Warts
    Planters warts occur on the bottom or sole (planter surface) of the foot. As planter warts are under pressure from standing and walking, planters warts grow inward, often causing great discomfort and pain. planters warts are caused by a virus (human papilloma virus, HPV) and are contagious. planter warts can be differentiated from a simple callus by characteristic dark specks (thrombosed capillaries) in the center.
    Infection from planters warts (HPV) usually occur through tiny cuts or abrasions on the skin. It may take several months for a planters wart to appear after initial exposure. As planter warts is a virus, planter warts are contagious, commonly spread in public swimming pools or communal showers. To help stop transmission of planter warts, avoid going barefoot in public places like showers, gyms, locker rooms and around swimming pools. (advertisement for "warts no more")
  • I was there for a medical conference, and really didn’t need to sit through another seminar on radical new treatments for planters’ warts, so I ducked out to the theater. (link)
  • Disorders of the foot are corrected medically or surgically by a podiatrist. Common conditions include in-grown toenails, corns, calluses, planters warts and bunions. (Holy Redeemer Hospital)
  • Planter Warts: Many years ago I suffered from an extensive “infestation” of planter warts. (link)
  • Planter’s warts occur on feet or hands and don’t lead to infertility or urinary infection. (link)

Analyzed or reported by:

_Plantar_ means “relating to the sole of the foot”. The idea that planters, who presumably spend much of their working live on their feet, might be more likely to contract warts there, or that such warts might be particularly bothersome for them, is suggestive but erroneous.

| Comments Off link | entered by Chris Waigl, 2005/04/04 |

statute » statue

Classification: English – final d/t-deletion

Spotted in the wild:

  • The statue of the Council of Europe provides that every member “must accept the principles of the rule of law and of the enjoyment by all persons within its jurisdiction of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and collaborate sincerely and effectively in the realisation of the aim of the Council.” (Parliamentary debates, Ireland, 24 January, 1995)
  • Does the IRS have a statue of limitations on audits? How long do I have to keep my records? (link)
  • What is the statue of limitations on having to pay a hospital bill in Arizona? (link)
  • Persistent Borrowers or attorneys will be referred to the following court decisions holding that the elimination of the statue of elimination for student loan collections applies to all student loans, even those on which collection action may have been barred the U.S. Department Of Education under prior law: […] (link)
  • In many situations, there remains a climate of impunity for those committing crimes against children, as proscribed by international humanitarian law and the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court. (European Union Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict)

Analyzed or reported by:

It is hard to tell this eggcorn from an accidental slip of the keyboard: spell-checkers won’t catch the missing letter.

But it is also an example of “converging” etymologies, as both, _statute_ and _statue_ go back to Latin _statuere_, “enact, establish”, in both cases via Old French, which already had two differentiated words (_statut_ and _statue_) for English to borrow.

| 2 comments | link | entered by Ben Zimmer, 2005/04/04 |
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