sarcastic » sartastic
The first, recent (usenet) example was my first sighting of this error. The second (usenet) example is the earliest I’ve found, dated 1996. It’s quite rare, and hardly seen outside forums.
The Eggcorn Database - v. 0.5
manner » manor
Spotted in the wild:
- Your expert medical skills set aside; you have a wonderful bedside manor. Simba just adores you. It is unbelievable how well you treat him, not like a patient, but a dog that needs help. (link)
- He is a very skilled laparoscopic surgeon and has done many major surgeries. His nurse, Kristy, is very caring. He has both a good bedside manor and a great deal of competence. (link)
- But it goes by so fast and if you have a piercer with a good bedside manor that makes all the difference then being pierced by someone who just grunts at you, they really help to ease your mind. (link)
- I am looking for a discreet affair, with a gentleman that is overly romantic and sexy, with hypnotic eyes and a great bedside manor, with a deep sexy voice that will knock my sox off, and is very romantic and likes to wear aftershave, and is tall and good looking, and has a great sense of humor, loves to have fun and that is financially secure. (link)
Analyzed or reported by:
- commenter cl (A Capital Idea)
The confusing ambiguity in the expression _to the manor/manner born_ should also be noted here. Arnold Zwicky mentioned it in his post Still on the eggcorn beet.
The Columbia Guide to Standard American English tells us:
> These words are homophones, manner meaning “a mode of behavior†(see also KIND), manor, “a house or mansion and its land.†To the manner born is an idiom meaning “from birth accustomed to the behavior expected and therefore able to meet the standards easily,†and To the manor born is an idiom meaning “accustomed as from birth to the ways and demands of being landed gentry.†Manner appears to have the stronger literary sanction (see Hamlet I.iv.15), but both forms of the idiom are in use in Standard English.
_To the manor born_ has about three times the number of Google hits as _to the manner born_, but this could be simply because there is a British comedy of that name.
lose » loose
Spotted in the wild:
- In what is widely considered to be a response to the recent announcement about two 18-year olds who will loose their virginity over the internet, (http://www.ourfirsttime.com) Los Angeles resident Jason Torchinsky plans to loose his keys, and then his cool, live on the internet. (link)
- What happens if I loose something in the haunt? (link)
**Note by CW:** This entry has been assigned to the “questionable” category pending further discussion: _lose»loose_ looks like a simple misspelling to me.
**Note by CW:** Error in my first note finally fixed. The discussion in the comment section and the clarifications in Arnold Zwicky’s Language Log post agree with my first reaction to this entry. To summarize: Not every misspelling that coincides with a different word than the one the writer aimed at is an eggcorn; we need some evidence that he or she had a different sense, or sense component, in mind. I don’t wish to delete the entry, since this would mean that the commentaries would disappear as well. I have therefore created a new category to mark entries that, after discussion, are found to be not of the eggcorn type.
demur » demure
Spotted in the wild:
- I demure from saying, “Your blood pressure would be high if a couple of days ago you thought you were having a stroke, and now you feel pain that possibly rivals childbirth, and you’ve called the doctor three times and each time you’ve been lied to, and now, miracle of miracles, the Holy Shaman deigns to see you.” (Salon.com, Oct. 7, 1999)
- “I can’t say that!” he bleats. “Just attribute it to your business partner,” says Jim in his usual reassuring manner. But Kevin continues to demure. (Business Week, Feb. 9, 2001)
- The Membership directs the Clerk to cast one vote for Nicholas Shectman to elect him by acclimation to the office of Treasurer. The clerk tries to demure, saying that he intended to register his vote for Treasurer as an abstention, but performs as directed, making Nicholas Shectman the Treasurer of ARISIA, Incorporated by acclimation. (Mentor of Arisia, Sep. 2001)
- We were greeted by Mrs Morton (Kelly from the DSG and I were both new to the class and we had to introduce ourselves) and she asked whether we had done our homework and some were honest enough to demure so we were given a 17 minute test to be completed in 15 minutes, on the importance of the Nile to the Egyptians. (St. Andrew's College (NZ) newsletter, Feb. 17, 2003)
- I hadn’t been expecting a meal and attempted to demure, saying that we weren’t expecting to be fed. (Authentic Artifact Collectors Association newsletter, Summer 2004)
These two words may be etymologically related, or at least may have influenced each other historically. Demur derives from Latin _de- + morari_ ‘to delay’ via Anglo-Norman _demurer_, while demure probably derives from the past participle of the Anglo-Norman verb, reanalyzed as an extended form of Old French _mur_, _meur_ ‘mature, serious’. _Demure_ continues to connote the coy quality of one who _demurs_.
vantage » vintage
Spotted in the wild:
- It should be noted for the comfort of those wishing to look at the devastation at a required safe distance, that although St. George’s Hill provides a real vintage point, Richmond Hill is not far behind. (Montserrat Reporter, Sep. 1999)
- While the differences between programs, from the vintage point of graduate feedback and committee members, were seen as hallmarks of the program, the demanding credit load seemed cumbersome, and the committee questioned its reasonability against competing programs. (Colorado State University Journal of Student Affairs, 2000)
- I think that Mr Tung handled it very well….after you look at it from this vintage point backwards…you say well, I think that’s a good job. (Peter Woo, Chairman, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Aug. 14, 2001)
- Events management company owner Reece Mann thanked the mayor profusely for taking time out to visit them, whereupon he invited Masondo to a “wonderful view of the CBD” from the Turfontein vintage point. (City of Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 15, 2002)
- The 26.12ha area is the limit. It can either be at the beach for a stunning sunset wedding or at its viewing huts atop the Monkey Pot to have the vintage point of the Celebes Sea, Mount Kinabalu and Sungai Mengkabong. (New Straits Times, Malaysia, May 8, 2003)
- Talking to newsmen Chairman of All Pakistan Furniture Exporters Association Turhan Baig Mohammad who was participating in furniture exhibition for the third time, emphasised the need to take timely decision by EPB as this would help get a vintage point for their stalls at such exhibitions in future. (Daily Mail, Pakistan, Jan. 28, 2005)
In some cases probably influenced by the adjectival sense of vintage: ‘Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic.’
Appears to be more common in some Asian and other international varieties of English.