The Eggcorn Database - v. 0.5

_Eavesdrop_ is a denominal verb formed from the same pattern as for example _shop_ or _lobby_. The underlying noun _eavesdrop_, expanded in the OED as “the space of ground which is liable to receive the rain-water thrown off by the eaves of a building”, has fallen out of general use, and with it the image behind the verb, of standing close to the outside wall of a house, under the overhanging roof, and listening in to what is spoken inside.

The eggcorn _easedrop_ or _ease drop_ might be stressing the aspect of casualness when overhearing other people’s conversations.

The reshaping _eavesdrop_ » _ease drop_ has been suggested multiple times on this site and in other venues, first by Chris Russell (investigated by Pat Schwieterman).

See also _eavesdrop_ » _eardrop_.

The raising of [Ɛ] before nasals probably plays a role in this one.

Another case of exchange between different unaccented nasal syllables.

A cousin to the mixmash eggcorn. Mix ‘n match no doubt contributes to the mix.

Margaret Lee’s original report:

At a recent Phish concert here in Hampton, a Phish fan “Phish head”) (female) was quoted in the local newspaper as saying, “It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one that wears mixmatch clothing and is into other things besides cell phones and bling-bling.” Is this use of “mixmatch” for “mismatch” an eggcorn? I don’t know if this was her pronunciation or the reporter’s spelling of the word.

[Addendum: Ben Zimmer reports a discussion by Nancy Friedman of mixedmaxed as a possible eggcorn for mismatched.]

The two reports cited above are from the American Dialect Society mailing list. An edited version of the second:

I posted in 2000 about an experience I had when I was still driving back and forth across the country at least once a year, and looked in on antique shops in New Mexico, Arizona, and the California desert. Where objects labeled as S(c)ha(e)f(f)er Robes - there were many variant spellings - were on offer. Eventually, when I came across the variants S(c)hiffer Robe, the penny dropped and I realized that these things were chifforobes (”chifforobe” = “chiffonier” + “wardrobe”, itself an interesting formation).

In any case, since so very many things are named after people or places, this sort of reshaping is to be expected.

(The first occurrence is from a summary of Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood.)

The OED entry for chifforobe lists the following variant spellings: chiffarobe, chifferobe, chiffing robe, chifforobe, chiffrobe, chifrobe, shifferobe.