- Eggcorn
In
linguistics , an eggcorn is an idiosyncratic substitution of a word or phrase for a word or words that sound similar or identical in the speaker's dialect. Characteristic of the eggcorn is that the new phrase makes sense on some level ("old-timer's disease" for "Alzheimer's disease "). Eggcorns often involve replacing an unfamiliar, archaic, or obscure word with a more common or modern word ("baited breath" for ""). [ Letters to the Editor in response to an Opinion piece on eggcorns.
*Liberman, Mark, and Geoffrey K. Pullum. "Far from the Madding Gerund and Other Dispatches from Language Log". Wilsonville, OR: William, James & Co., 2006.External links
* [http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/ Eggcorn database]
* [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/000018.html Mark Liberman'sSeptember 23 2003 entry on Language Log] - First introduction of eggcorns on the internet.
* [http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-cen1.htm Michael Quinion on the eggcorn on Centrifical] Discussion of an eggcorn and the definition
* [http://www.metaforix.info/2004/12/great_words_eme.html Metaforix@] A discussion of the phenomenon and some examples.
* [http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20060214-000002.html Psychology Today: Word Watch: The Eggcorn; A funny little poem and symptom of human intelligence and creativity.]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5518444 NPR: How the Web Is Changing Language]
* [http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/08/2006080901c/careers.html "Chronicle of Higher Education": "Like a Bowl in a China Shop".] Article by Mark Peters on eggcorns and teaching writing.
* [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001390.html Article about eggcorns by a Penn Linguist]
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