See "THE EGGCORN DATA BASE" for an extensive list.
Geoffrey Pullum, a Professor of Linguistics coined the word in response to an article written by Mark Lieberman. (See LANGUAGE LOG, a blog for linguists.) Lieberman wrote about the use of "eggcorn" by a woman who substituted it for "acorn"; thus, the term.
Finally, a word for IT!
I have collected numerous EGGCORNS and used them on my continuing BLOG articles: CRINGE: FAYETTE COUNTY TALK. Some of my favorites:
DOGGY-DOG WORLD (dog-eat-dog world)
IN TERM (interim)
WHEN ALL IS SET AND DONE (when all is said and done)
A NEW LEASH ON LIFE (a new lease on life)
COLD SLAW (cole slaw)
SIGNAL OUT (single out)
HOLLAND DAY or HOLIDAYS SAUCE (Hollandaise sauce)
UPMOST (utmost)
PHYSICAL YEAR (fiscal year)
EARDROP or EASEDROP (eavesdrop)
CAR LINKS (car lengths)
QUICK CLAIM DEED (quit claim deed)
MY AS WELL (may as well)
TEN YEAR PROFESSOR (tenured professor)
DISSOLUSION (dissolution)
LIP SING (lip synch)
HALF MASS (half mast)
CLICK (clique)
BOBBED WIRE (barb wire)
CO-OP (co-opt)
COLOR COATED (color coded)
RIGHT AWAY (right of way)
GUN-HO (gung-ho)
Because of my BLOG article REDUNDANCIES, a friend sent a bunch of examples plus an e-mail from Richard Nordquist (see article).
Years ago, I used the word with one of my employees and he said, "You know, Sue, the proper pronunciation of that is FORT, not FOR-TAY." I immediately said, "Yes, I DO know that!" I was indeed flummoxed because, YES, I did know that it should have been pronounced FORT, but I thought HE would not know that! He noticed my discomfort and laughed and said, "You probably thought that I wouldn't know it." I said, "Well, not TOO many people know that!" He said, "I figure if they don't know it, they'll ask me about it; I don't dumb-down and neither should you!
Good advice. That was when I quit playing to a perceived audience.
The moral of that story: never underestimate a guy building trucks who holds a Master's Degree!
People look at me strangely because of the way I pronounce FORTE, CARAMEL and CREPE.
CLICK HERE to see 79 COMMON MISPRONUNCIATIONS, which includes the three I mentioned. I agree with the video except in the pronunciation of "SCORSESE", because I've actually heard Martin pronounce his own name, so I'll agree with him!
What kind of person would choose a career dealing with naked, lifeless bodies?
Our favorites television coroners:
Kurt Fuller as Dr. Woody Strode on Psych. (It's practically enough that he's named Woody Strode!)
Jane Curtin as Dr. Joanne Webster on "Unforgettable"
David McCallum as Donald "Ducky" Mallard on "NCIS"
Tamara Tunie as Dr. Melinda Warner on "Law and Order SVU"
Khandi Alexander as Dr. Alexx Woods on "CSI Miami"
Michelle Forbes as Dr. Julianna Cox on "Homicide: Life On The Street"
Elizabeth Rogers as Dr. Leslie Hendrix on "Law and Order"
Dana Delaney as Dr. Megan Hunt on Body Of Proof
Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy on Body Of Proof (hit the jackpot with two on the same show!)
Robert David Hall as Doc Robbins on CSI
Robert Joy as Dr. Sid Hammerback on CSI New York
I didn't think any of these could be topped until I watched the latest episode of Longmire. The Coroner, Dr. Bloomfield, is played by Kenneth Choi. The character is described on the website as being "half-Japanese and half-Jewish" and "ruggedly handsome." I believe that the name Choi is either Chinese or Korean, but of course that would not prevent his playing a half-Japanese person! The character chews tobacco and is constantly spitting tobacco juice into a cup, just like real tobacco-chewers!
I asked, "Is that KOSHER?" Les said, "As long as it doesn't contain MSG!" Oh, cross-ethic humor is so difficult to translate! My favorite cross-ethnic jokes are:
SAMMY DAVIS: The only Jew with Sickle-Cell Anemia.
SAMMY DAVIS: The only black with Tay-Sachs Disease.
CLICK HERE to see the article on TV Morticians.
I said, "We need to add on to...."; I didn't get to finish the statement before being leapt upon by Les: "Isn't using add on to redundant?"
A new REFRIGERATOR LIST:
REDUNDANCIES
UP ABOVE
BARE NAKED
CLOSE PROXIMITY
GREAT BIG
LOOK AND SEE
OLD GEEZER
RULES AND REGULATIONS
SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT
UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
Feel free to ADD ON TO the list!
I had a number of groaning responses to my BLOG article I THINK I CAN HANDEL IT, but that won't deter me!
There's more!
1. Do you know what Handel has been doing for the past 250 years?
Sung out, in the tune of The Hallelujah Chorus: "DECOMPOSING!"
2. Which classical music composer married his high school?"
Gustav--he married his ALMA MAHLER!"
3. My greatest classical music joke; I only hope I can do it justice; it really needs to be spoken for the full effect:
Ludwig Von Beethoven was laboring over his Fifth Symphony and his mother, a poor, peasant, Jewish woman, brought him some cookies and milk, and Ludwig, clearly irritated, knocked them away saying, "I can't be bothered, Mother!" Shortly after, he felt guilty and called for her and said, "Come, Mother, perhaps you can inspire me!" She said, "Oh, Ludwig, how can I, a poor, peasant, Jewish woman inspire you, who are such a genius? Oh, Ludwig, that is so funny: HA-HA-HA; HA-HA-HA (said to the opening bars of the 5th Symphony)!"
4. What did Beethoven have for a snack? "BA-NA-NA-NA!" (sung to the opening bars of the 5th Symphony)
Please enjoy Sid Caesar's Argument, set to the Fifth Symphony. I used to say that my definition of an intellectual was someone who could listen to The William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger or listen to Also Sprach Zarathustra without thinking of Promise margarine! I can't hear Beethoven's Fifth Symphony without thinking of the joke and Sid Caesar and Nannette Fabray's argument!
