wont » want

Classification: English

Spotted in the wild:

  • As Fritz matured, he also was allowed into the bedroom. Both he and Kira would sleep there during the day and night, as was their want. (A Cat Allergy Story)
  • If I was truly without hubris, how would I know the gods were speaking through me at all? Do we demonstrate hubris merely by knowing? Apparently, and not only that, my want is already hubristic. (Talkative Gods, An Interactive Theater Production.)
  • Something began to unravel in her mind, and instead of taking the time to create an intricately pithy and exhaustive mental account to be later used as the detailed mental production notes from which to glean her latest sociosatirical presentation as was her customary want, she let that rational thread fray, deciding that for once in her carefully plotted life the time to live in the moment was upon her. (A Serialized Chuck Swinger, The Experimental P.I., Adventure by Tim Gadzinski)

Analyzed or reported by:

AHD4 defines the noun _wont_ as follows:

> NOUN: Customary practice; usage. See synonyms at habit.[…]
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, past participle of wonen, to be used to, dwell. See won1.

The eggcorn comes with a noticable shift in meaning.

| link | entered by Chris Waigl, 2005/02/18 |

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