windfall » winfall

Chiefly in:   winfall

Classification: English – final d/t-deletion

Spotted in the wild:

  • There’s no issue of taxes here, the city has a winfall of revenue. (link)
  • What may seem like a winfall to the employee of having an extra $50 in their paycheck every payday, puts not only the employee but the company at risk. (link)

The literal reference in the original is to ripened fruit falling to the ground when the wind blows. The eggcorn has become increasingly common, not only because “win” fits so logically, but also because it is used (probably originally as a pun) as the name of several state and other lotteries in the US.

| link | entered by benevides, 2005/10/02 |

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