Are you getting these phrases wrong too? | EGGCORNS

[@RobWords]

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[@DyausLLL]

I would love to see a video on English words which came from Indian languages. Please make a video on that. Please 🙏🙏🙏

[@paulmagnuson1021]

That was unquestionably the best VPN ad of all time!

[@unmanaged]

as soon as a vpn ad-vert started I stopped watching ....

[@GopherBaroque61]

It makes no deference to me... Hay! Ewe axed ferret.

[@nancylee8061]

Feeble position 🤣🤣🤣. In Texas they use "butt naked" all the time. When I moved there I thought it was just a Texan thing.

[@CristieHenry]

A friend of mine had always called a chest of drawers "Chester Drawers" and - not sure this is an eggcorn but - a friend of my husband's believed as a child that there was a household deity called the Time Being because her parents left temporary offerings to it, as they would say, "We can leave that there for the time being."

[@noamtashma617]

wow "the time being" is one of the best ones here. It's geniusly hilarious

[@Edward_Hodges]

I thought it was Chester draws for a long time. Chester is just where i thought the furniture originated from.

[@adamcetinkent]

​@@Edward_HodgesIt's probably near Chesterfield

[@samweldon8104]

You just converted me to belief in the Time Being. Every time I hear or use that phrase from now on I’ll be thinking of appeasing some wrathful temporal deity.

[@michaelgarrow3239]

I think I have found enlightenment!!! 😎

[@FourthRoot]

My favorite eggcorn is "Duck Tape" which is a rather remarkable DOUBLE eggcorn. Most people think duck tape is the incorrect form of duct tape and that the name of the product refers to its application to duct work. But the problem is that that "duct tape" isn't actually made for ventilation. If you research the history of the tape, you would learn that it was originally named for the cloth like substrate known as "duck" that gives it strength. So it was originally called "duck tape," but over time, it became known as duct tape because it seems like it's designed for ducts (even though it isn't). Ironically "duct tape" became so ubiquitous that the brand name "Duck Tape" was presumed to be a play on words and is now a registered trademark in the US, which should not be possible considering the proper original name for the product was always "duck tape".

[@sharonshookup]

I used to use duct tape all the time for duct work and got very frustrated when I found out that all of my duct tape was failing on the heat of the duct. Some of the duct work is buried in the walls and I can't replace it now !!

[@FourthRoot]

@@sharonshookup The fact that duck tape is ubiquitously referred to as "duct tape" and that duck tape is now trademarked is one of the greatest crimes ever committed against the english language, second only to Merriam-Webster literally using the words "not literally" in their definition of "literally", which I can't even think about without shaking with rage.

[@VinceBlack536]

Duck tape was used in ww2 for tapping pants legs do they did not get wet feet hence duck tape

[@FourthRoot]

@@VinceBlack536 Sounds like apocryphal. The product was already called duck tape prior to WWII because it used cotton duck as a substrate.

[@stanleyhape8427]

All Band Aids are adhesive bandages, but not all adhesive bandages are Band Aids . The same goes for Duck Tape and duct tape .

[@meytecc8601]

My biggest pet peeve is "I could care less" which completely 180s the meaning of the phrase. Yet, you hear it more often than "I couldn't care less".

[@RCSVirginia]

@meytecc8601 I talk to people all the time who were never taught in school that it is "I couldn't care less," or the difference betwixt "lay" and "lie," or that "myself" is neither used as an object or a subject. One does wonder, "What were they taught?"

[@dennyaudio]

mine too.

[@JB9000x]

For me, it's the confusion between Sliver and Slither. I hate correcting people, but every time someone asks for a slither of cake I have to tell them it's a cake, not a snake!

[@allan8910]

This one's just sarcasm

[@LincolnDWard]

@@RCSVirginia wait - when are you supposed to use "myself" then? All uses for nouns that I know of (outside of parenthetical appositives) can be classified as either a subject or an object (direct object of the verb, indirect object of the verb, or object of the preposition). I pretty much exclusively use it as an object (direct object as in "I hit myself in the head," indirect object as in "I gave myself a gift," preposition-object as in "I'm by myself") I suppose it's sometimes used as an adverb ("I did it myself") rather than as a pronoun - is that what you're referring to as the "correct" usage?

[@bcheese30]

No lie, a high school essay I read once had the phrase "lacks toast and tolerance" and that was about 12 years ago. I'll never forget it.

[@italianstallion399]

I had to read that three times before I realized it was "lactose intolerant".

[@lsingstock1646]

😊😅😂

[@buudorobuudronovich1507]

i used to tell my Japanese gf to cross her fingers and toes when she really wished for something. after 2 years together, she repeated it to me but said, "cross your fingers and toast." after we stopped laughing i asked her, "cross my toast? what's that supposed to mean?" she said, "well, what is "cross your fingers" supposed to mean? touché, Tomoko.

[@rogerc2058]

You could win the pullet surprise.

[@broek6075]

Lack toast in toddler aunt

[@rottndachs]

I retired from assembly line work. Almost everyone had "corporal" tunnel. The first time I heard it I laughed and said it must be a major pain.

[@jovetj]

And a general distraction from getting work done. You can sure admiral their can-dew spewit, though.

[@two_tier_gary_rumain]

Not carpet tunnel?

[@rottndachs]

@@two_tier_gary_rumain nope, corporal tunnel. But I like carpal tunnel.

[@two_tier_gary_rumain]

@@rottndachs I've heard it called carpet tunnel. Never did work out what the underlaying issue was.

[@danasummers2817]

My old boss said CORPORATE tunnel 😂

[@nickzivanovic]

I hate in-video ad reads, but that was the most inventive way I've seen a KZbinr incorporate one. Good job, Rob.

[@utha2665]

I use a sponsor block but it skipped to the list and asking how many did you get. A good way to force one to go back and watch the ad, quite inventive, it wouldn't surprise me if it was done on purpose 😁

[@WolvenMother]

I swear he uses the ad reads to have as much linguist fun as possible.

[@eternaloptimist2840]

I usually fast-forward the sponsorship spiel, I may have to go back and listen to this one.

[@shaneintheuk2026]

I too watched a whole sponsor ad for the first time ever

[@pamjgmail9379]

Yes, it was a clever way to get us to watch the sponsor spiel. Bravo!

[@Aserash]

There is a charming eggcorn in Afrikaans, Bromkatjies (pronounced bromkaikees). It is a mis-hearing of the English word bronchitis, the chest infection. But Bromkatjies literally translates thus: brom is like a grumbling hum, like what you do when you are unhappy with something, and katjies are kittens. So when you have bronchitis, you have grumbling kittens. Perfect.

[@Mabeloid]

oh this might be a phono-semantic matching actually! they're very interesting too

[@JeroenJA]

South African is so imaginative dutch :-). I just pronounce bronchitis the dutch spelling way..

[@michelepascoe6068]

Love that!

[@davidparker9676]

It really is terrible having grumbling kittens, what do you egg speck? Purr-fection?

[@berniceporter8839]

Hi there fellow South African!!

[@richardgirardin1589]

A student in my philosophy class wrote in a paper that philosophers "INSTALL unnecessary fear" into people. Coming from a family of cabinet makers…I really appreciated this egg corn that I haven't seen yet.

[@okkasannan]

Non-native speaker here. What is a correct version?

[@richardgirardin1589]

Instill would have been the "correct" word. Though I rather like "install" :)

[@skittle2821]

@@okkasannan i’m a native speaker and i was too dumb to figure it out😭

[@cattycorner8]

LOLOL

[@IntolerantOgre]

My favorite and most frustrating is when someone insist something is a “mute” point instead of a “moot” point.

[@Barghaest]

I prefer the version from Friends. “It’s a moo point. It’s like a cow, it doesn’t matter!” 😜

[@alexbarber1566]

@@Barghaest yeh a cows opinion, classic Joey

[@marthathompson2012]

@@alexbarber1566exactly!

[@cynthiashipley9486]

The "moo point" would be a muglare (not sure on spelling) wouldn't it, as Joey was commonly trying to sound educated like his friends who went to college, but he just didn't get it. But the moot point/mute point most definitely are eggcorns especially since, if I remember it correctly, moot means unspoken of where as mute means not spoken/speaking. Either way, they are unheard.

[@G.G.8GG]

With you on this. Thank you!

[@BurningNero22]

I recently found out I've been using a german eggcorn for many, many years: the german word for the sound-producing lamella in the mouthpiece of woodwind instruments like the saxophone or clarinet is "Blättchen". It's the diminutive of the word "Blatt" or "Rohrblatt" which translates to the english "reed". Since the first time I heard someone mention it, I thought they said "Plättchen", which means "small sheet" and perfectly made sense to me, due to the shape of the reed: thin and flat (or german: "platt"). I thought I was correct for at least 20 years. Now I know I eggcorned myself.

[@tiltil9442]

Soft plosives indicate origin (or bringing up) in the South of Germany (or in Austria). Rund um Berlin oder Hannover passieren solche "Weichheiten" seltener.

[@luna-p]

My mother is German. I never learned the language, just individual words, like body parts and such, when I was a kid. Took me a long time to realize that I was not learning the actual words, but made-up versions ending in the diminutive -chen. Glad I never embarrassed myself by sharing them with other Germans, though I may have misinformed some classmates.

[@doubleT84]

@@luna-p Fingerchen, Ärmchen, Beinchen, Näschen, Penischen, ...

[@luna-p]

@@doubleT84 Lolol

[@angel10508]

"eggcorned myself" 😂😂😂😂

[@AtticusDragon]

Best I've heard: Years ago a coworker was furious at my manager and declared "You burnt your britches with me Mike!!!!". It was pretty epic, and while I recall he had good reason to be angry, nobody could take him seriously.

[@Jan-qv8ku]

Those are some “hot pants”!

[@AtticusDragon]

@@Jan-qv8ku haha well played

[@andyman8630]

crossing burnt bridges often results in burns britches!

[@jcmick8430]

Good thing Mike wasn't too big for his bridges

[@corit7889]

I guess after that he'd be "all mouth and no trousers." (Not an eggcorn, but an expression I was most amused to hear on British tv).

[@OKaysional]

once told my doctor i live a "sendimentary lifestlye" when i was a teenager, because i pieced together in my brain that those particular kinds of rocks were formed over a long time of not moving and that made perfect sense to me having no knowledge of the word "sedentary" made everyone laugh a fair bit

[@taggi1877]

I also used that phrase , and with the exact same reasoning! Cool to see I’m not the only one!

[@mctrustsnoone3781]

This made me giggle… and needs to be a clastic. Ba-dum! 😂 Clasts - the granular fragments that make up sedimentary rocks. I’ll see myself out.

[@OKaysional]

@@mctrustsnoone3781 boooooooo!!!!!! (but im secretly clapping)

[@Changon]

Not really a foreign egg corn but I met someone from Colombia a couple of years ago. His English was pretty good but still learning. He told me that up until recently he thought our expression when leaving was “Happy Good day” instead of “have a good day” which, if you think about it makes sense because we have other sentiments that we express with “happy” e.g. Happy Birthday! Happy anniversary! Happy Mother’s Day! Etc. I thought it was pretty cute.

[@avalerie4467]

I like it ! Happy good day to you !

[@habibakamel]

I’m totally going to start using that phrase. I love it. Happy good day to you!

[@avalerie4467]

@@habibakamel happy good day to you

[@lon3don]

Let's adopt it

[@majaruzicic7371]

I need this to be an actual phrase in the English language. It sounds super sweet! Happy good day!

[@angelaostrich8700]

I once emailed a boss to let them know I’d be sending them “the whole kitten caboodle” the next day. She let me know she couldn’t stop laughing at the thought of what a “kitten caboodle” would look like, but in future I may want to write “the whole kit and caboodle” instead. Not sure if that counts as an eggcorn, but whatever it is, it still makes me smile.

[@tb6303]

Sounds like an eggcorn to me. It also made me laugh - sounded like something someone would knit and put a kitten in.

[@elaine_of_shalott6587]

I vote to rename a litter of kittens to a caboodle.

[@hollybean790]

Good sport!

[@crcastillo615]

Me too😂

[@Tera_GX]

I now need to see a kitten kaboodle. Also I caught that typo immediately after I typed it, but I'll leave it in because that too is interesting on this topic.

[@Adeodatus100]

Once when my uncle was seriously ill, my aunt wrote that he was "in tents of care", which I thought was kind of lovely

[@JaimeMesChiens]

As an ICU RN, I, also, think “in tents-of care” is lovely. ❤

[@onemercilessming1342]

@JaimeMesChiens Especially oxygen tents. Are they even used any more?

[@michaelwisniewski6047]

Same thing really, for all intensive purposes…

[@onemercilessming1342]

@@michaelwisniewski6047 *...intents and purposes...

[@philippedemontauvant5565]

LOL

[@seemsneat]

I spent most of my life saying Bondfire for Bonfire because you sit around the fire and bond with people!!

[@mctrustsnoone3781]

@@seemsneat that’s adorable!

[@BennoWitter]

In German, songs with lyrics that are often misheard are called "Agathe Bauer" songs. The story is that someone had called a radio station requesting the song about "Agathe Bauer". The song that the person actually wanted to hear was "The Power" by Snap, which has the lyrics "I've got the power" in it. Another example is "Anneliese Braun"; which is supposed to be "All the leaves are brown" from "California dreaming" by the Mamas and the Papas.

[@GldnClaw]

Reminds me of the Mexican Radio station one. The guy requests "Esos son Reebok o son Nike" (literally "are those Reebok or Nike). Turns out he was requesting. "This is the rhythm of the night" by the Eurythmics

[@ferkinskin]

Hau auf die Leberwurst- Hope of deliverance. :)

[@VetsrisAuguste]

I want Annalise Braun to be my drag name.

[@holgerchristiansen4003]

There are two books about those misheard lyrics. Though the books have pretty unfortunate titles... de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_wei%C3%9Fe_Neger_Wumbaba

[@gaedingar9791]

these two came also to my mind as soon as he started talking about that.

[@Figgy5119]

In Japanese before kids can read kanji and they just write everything in kana, it's often believed the word for watermelon (スイカ), suika is sui-ka (水果) which is water-fruit. But it's actually su-ika (西瓜), meaning western-melon.

[@katharina...]

This just tickled my brain in so many different ways! 😁👍

[@Shrapnel82]

Interesting. In China, the writing is the same, and xi-gua (西瓜) also means "watermelon", while shui-guo (水果) mean's fruit in general.

[@Landoverse]

Score one for Chinese! Japan’s super-simple pronunciation seems like a blessing until you realize it’s a curse. Everything’s a farking homophone.

[@MSinclairStevens]

As a non-native student of Japanese, my personal eggcorn was thinking mushi-atsui meant bug hot instead of sultry (hot and humid). Mushi can mean either steamy or insect depending on how it’s written in kanji. But I had only learned the word for insect and since the bugs in Japan (mosquitoes, cockroaches, cicadas) are plentiful when the weather is sweltering, bug-hot seemed like a logical compound. Eventually I learned that mushi also meant steamy and had a good laugh at myself.

[@dan13770]

That's what it is in Chinese, in fact they have a melon for all four compass points:)

[@dinodinoulis923]

When I was at school, my English teacher told me not to worry about spelling or grammar because in the future there will always be autocorrect, and for that I am internally grapefruit.

[@Kay-kg6ny]

😂😂😂

[@bunnyslippers191]

Autocorrect is like having a very small elf living in your phone who is, unfortunately, extremely drunk. That's why it's wrong so often.

[@bcaye]

NICE

[@markrusselli3802]

Except autocorrect always makes me say things I didn't Nintendo

[@888YungStatic888]

Doggy Dog World is the one I said wrong my whole life, and I found out like 2 years ago it was Dog EAT Dog World. It blew my mine because it makes infinitely more sense to me

17:39 in Hungarian there is a saying “közös lónak túros a háta”. Literally it means “the shared horse has a scarred back” as in, shared property is usually in a bad shape or used up quickly. A common eggcorn is “közös lónak túrós a háta”, as in: “the back of a shared horse is smeared with cottage cheese”. The word for “scarred” in the first sentence is pretty archaic, while the word for cottage cheese is almost the same.

[@lbarkasz]

Egesz eletem egy hazugsag volt

[@JimLambier]

The favourite one that I ever heard was when my wife and I were guests at a wedding reception and another guest was telling us about her friend who had been injured and had to go to the emergency room at the hospital. Her injuries were so bad that she had to be transferred to the "drama ward" instead of trauma ward. The story continued for several minutes with numerous references to the "drama ward". The first time, we assumed it was a slip of the tongue caused by the open bar. By the fifth or sixth time, we realized that she assumed it was the "drama ward" because it was very dramatic. Over thirty years later, my wife and I still jokingly refer to it that way.

[@sidarthur8706]

to be fair hospitals do have theatres

[@rubiks6]

That's a fantastic eggcorn!

[@FilosophicalPharmer]

The lady who helped my mom clean the house often had to stay home because her very close veins were hurting.

[@thesushifiend]

In the UK we don’t have “trauma wards” or “emergency rooms” so I assume this must be American.

[@JimLambier]

@@thesushifiend North American, but Canadian to be precise.

[@HeyNonyNonymous]

There's a really good example of an eggcorn that is probably so old and commonly used, that the original version is all but forgotten: Parting shot, originally, is Parthian shot: named after the mounted Partian archers and their ability to turn around in their saddles and release an accurate arrow shot while retreating.

[@sarahrosen4985]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@Nyxwraith]

I never heard of the original until today.

[@johnle6982]

And I assume a horde of mounted Partian Archers had something to do with mounting something or someone at a party?

[@HeyNonyNonymous]

@@johnle6982 Not really. The Parthians were an empire that existed alongside the Romans, and were considered in many ways their arch nemesis as the Romans were never able to defeat them and suffered some horrific defeats trying (look for Historia Civilis' video about the battle of Carrhae for a chilling example). They weren't some wild horde, but a very ancient, well established state by the time the Romans came along.

[@stephenlee5929]

@@johnle6982 I'm going with, that's the Mountain I will die on.😁

[@Bargle5]

I remember reading in Reader's Digest many years ago about a woman who moved to the New York City/New Jersey area and began copying a phrase she heard locals saying about something expensive costing 'a nominal egg'. She said it for quite a while before it hit her one day. What they were saying was 'an arm and a leg' with the strong regional accent.

[@KristopherBel]

I grew up in that area and can confirm if I say "an arm and a leg" in my nana's accent (which is heavier than mine) it sounds just like "a nominal egg." What a great one!

[@davidfarmer5783]

lol. That was good!

[@jpe1]

Is it still an eggcorn if I use the wrong phrase deliberately? For example, I will refer to “old timer’s disease” deliberately when speaking with people who know that I know that the correct term is “Alzheimer’s disease” when I want to reinforce in-group bonding by using a shared witticism. (Yes, I realize that you may judge me a terrible person for making fun of other’s honest mistakes, and I won’t attempt to defend my behavior here.)

[@CiroMastino]

Ironically eggs nowadays do cost an arm and a leg

[@eric_d]

@@CiroMastino Oh, but you missed that one by a few weeks. The prices came back down already.

[@cpamsey]

I enjoyed your segment. One of the funniest eggcorns I’ve ever heard was while working with a much younger coworker. She was complaining that the winter in her hometown back east (I’m in San Diego) was so cold and the “wind shield“ factor was such’n such. I said, don’t you mean the “wind chill” factor? She said, of course, not, she said she’s been calling at that for her whole life. She called her father in Minnesota and came back to my office really embarrassed…

[@ryanmykytowich7741]

Although I never knew about "egg corns" at the time, a fine example comes to mind from the TV show Friends. Joey says something about a "moo point". Monica (I think) says, "Don't you mean a moot point?" And Joey replies, "No, a moo point. It's like a cow's opinion: it just doesn't matter."

[@stolencoats63]

That joke is udderly terrible.

[@f16ure_it_0ut8]

Teats(to each) their own.

[@AM-hf9kk]

Oof - I hear "mute point" all the time (rather than "moot").

[@3arthIsGhetto]

People in the comments are really milking the puns 😂

[@misters2837]

The Nexflix show "The Ranch" and the "Fish's Cycle" (Has no legs so can't pedal!) - for Vicious Cycle

[@viljamtheninja]

As a non-native English speaker, I was proud to notice that I have been using all of these correctly. But being a non-native speaker might have actually helped, because a lot of the English expressions I've learned have come through reading literature rather than growing up hearing them in everyday conversation.

[@somesweetguy]

Wait u cin lern stuf from readin?

[@matthewbartsh9167]

It's nothing to do with not being a native speaker, and all to do with reading. There's no confusion when reading.

[@samplerInfo]

Also a non-native speaker. I'm your typical grammar nazi, besserwisser, and no-fun-at-parties guy, according to the interwebs. So I really try my best not to point things out nowadays. And I believe I'm actually quite funny IRL, despite this flaw. But I think that my spelling OCD actually gets worse when I spot native English speakers making these "mistakes". Like, I try so hard to master this language, yet I can't trust the knowledge of the people speaking it, or something. But as you and @matthewbartsh9167 suggest, I think it all has to do with reading, i.e. literacy.

[@samplerInfo]

Meaning, I guess, I don't agree with Geoff Pullum (in the video). I _do_ think this has to do with illiteracy. That is, not reading enough books or novels or whatnot to sufficiently support your use of the language. Although at the same time, I definitely agree it has nothing to do with stupidity per se, and I can see the imaginative aspects of coming up with... personal interpretations.

[@charlottewilliams7866]

Yes! Read broadly and frequently 😊

[@Kory_]

Gardener Snake vs Garter Snake has been one for me ever since I was a child. Had no idea what a garter was, and since the snakes were harmless and found near our garden, it made sense to call them gardener snakes.

[@Shrapnel82]

Even after learning what a garter was, I still prefer "garden snake". They have a lot more connection to gardens than garters.

[@bearcat1868]

Alternatively, guarder snake. Makes sense when you're a child and an adult's just introduced you to the concept of these snakes and their potential benefits to one's garden (eating pests).

[@Shrapnel82]

It sounds like every version of the name makes sense, except the "real" one@@bearcat1868

[@letsart6434]

Same.

[@mackdeen7021]

Not an eggcorn. Mispronouncing actual words is NOT and eggcorn.

[@breadfan_85]

Bless her heart, my best friend says "literately" instead of "literally," which is adorably ironic.

[@For_What_It-s_Worth]

Literarily delightful.

[@lancegoins3423]

I knew a guy that was sick all the time, but it was psycho-systematic. He also dropped his jar of cherries once and smashed it to figurines but didn’t get mad. My hand’s off to him!

[@elayned6147]

😂

[@cattycorner8]

😂

[@markkettlewell7441]

In the old Partridge in a Pear tree carol, the Americans completely lost the meaning of ‘four colly birds’ by substituting the words ‘calling birds’. The original song used the word “colly” to mean sooty black (black birds), we get the words coal and colliery from the same root.

[@DarqJestor]

Thank you for explaining that. Since I was a kid I wondered what four "calling" birds meant. And the derivation of coal and collier are interesting too.

[@markkettlewell7441]

@@DarqJestor Etymology is a fascinating subject. The Chambers dictionary of Etymology is a great starting place 😄

[@DarqJestor]

@@markkettlewell7441 Thanks so much. It does sound quite fascinating. I will definitely check it out. 🙂

[@michiganman2577]

That's fascinating. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@dboorman]

Most modern versions also have "Five golden rings" which most likely is a mishearing of another bird the "goldring" which actually fits the bird theme of those verses.

[@lenyaeger9969]

My mother considered herself the paragon of decorum and as such always spoke euphemistically when referring to topics she considered socially sensative. In our house "butt" was a four-letter word, and "buttocks" was little better, so she often used "derriere" to refer to one's "nether regions." When I was seven or eight years old, my piano teacher held a recital, and one of the older students played a tune called "Londonderry Air." I couldn't imagine why someone would play a tune about an English person's nether regions.

[@thorstambaugh1520]

That was the melody used for the song "Danny boy"

[@jc-16.]

Its just the derry air.

[@djollyrodjeur]

sensItive

[@MorganReece]

😂😂😂

[@nancyarnold1713]

😂

[@wkrpcincinnati3495]

I worked for years with a bunch of guys from Spain. Great guys and they were always fascinated by these sayings and what they mean.

[@digitalcity1]

My daughter when she was four asked if she could put some food in the garden outside her bedroom window. When I asked why she said "To feed her Gardening Angel".

[@angeladowden4535]

😅😅😅

[@angeladowden4535]

My son called Saber tooth tigers ...Saver tooth tigers... I guess that made sense to him.... because he was saving teeth for the tooth fairy....?😂

[@jaccandy]

I wish that was true. I definitely need a gardening fairy.

[@rainjar]

HR professionals often say "gardening leave" instead of "garden leave".

[@11Renee11]

😍

[@UK_Canuck]

The Hong Kong flu pandemic broke out in 1968. My brother had no knowledge of a place called Hong Kong but, with all the coughing going on, to his five year old mind it made perfect sense to think people were calling it the Honk-Honk flu. 😁

[@DawnDavidson]

Oh that is just precious! 😂

[@DarthPoyner]

He was just predicting Bird Flu.

[@goober112]

woah like Hong Kong phuey

[@jocelynnowen3078]

Funny

[@gearmeister]

Brill!!! 😂😂😂

[@julier92]

As a Catholic kid I used to hear the song- spoken communal prayer as "bless this sour food" instead of bless this our food". It made sense to me because the wine was awfully sour to a kid's taste and the wafers tasted mostly stale, so soured. I always wondered why we were choosing such an important prayer to complain about the food!

[@ccrmag]

Omg I would say bless this our lord 😂

[@chrisroberts1440]

My wife used to think it was the petrol light rather than the perpetual light. Which makes egg corn sense as petrol burns.

[@banjohero1182]

i remember a kid's book that had a bit with the character being offered "toad food and feel awful" for supper (tofu, falafel)

[@onemercilessming1342]

"O'er the ramparts we washed..." instead of "ramparts we watched" in the "Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key.

[@markvoelker6620]

For years I though it was: “And stand beside her, And guide her, By the light, with the light From a bulb” Because, hey, light comes from bulbs. 🤪

[@debunkosaurus8228]

My favorite medical example is "sick as hell anemia" instead of "sickle cell anemia".

[@markbloore1578]

Well, sickle cell is pretty hellish.

[@ViaticalTree]

That sounds more like something you specifically misheard than an eggcorn. I doubt most would think “sick as hell” would be part of the name of a health condition.

[@cattycorner8]

Yes. That's apt.

[@Tom-ahawk]

One of the best jokes from MASH. 'They have an edible complex, it's where you can't love any food other than your mother's cooking'

[@napoleon6221]

I think my favorite mash joke is a bit where Margret keeps answering questions for Frank to Henry and Henry says “Frank if you don’t shut up I’m going to have to punch her in the mouth”….. also basically any joke in a scene that has col. Flagg

[@Uarehere]

Yes, jokes! I'm sure they can explain the number of these egg corns!

[@michaelberger8137]

Hawkeye to Margaret... "You're so angry when you're beautiful." I say it all the time to my wife. Great stuff!

[@cattycorner8]

lolol

[@Edmonddantes123]

As a kid in Germany, I misheard the word for petrol station (“Tankstelle” = “fill-up place”) as “Stankstelle” (= “stink place”), which, not having a concept for filling up a tank but smelling petrol vapours, made a lot more sense to me

[@frankmerrill2366]

There's a chain of gas (petrol) stations in Idaho called Stinker.

[@mandowarrior123]

That's a funny one you'd get away with- if humour existed in Germany.

[@Shrapnel82]

And today I learned that "stank" isn't just a recent slang for smelling really bad, but from German.

[@nikeipod1]

On a very similar note, in India, a petrol station is most commonly called "Petrol bunk". It's weird because they don't call it that anywhere else. The closest term used elsewhere is "Petrol pump". It was probably an eggcorn, that later became folk etymology (its even in dictionaries now)

[@kathleenstoin671]

My mother and I were joking around when she forgot someone's name and said she must have old timer's disease. I replied, "Thats OK, Mom, I have mentalpause." We both got a chuckle out of that. But actually, I don't think I've ever used any of those eggcorns. I've always read a lot, and when you see those common phrases in print, it's not as likely that you'll use them incorrectly.

[@johnfitzgerald8879]

I've been using old timer's disease intentionally for decades. The first person I heard it from was me. Indeed, I have never heard it anywhere else until this video. It's just such an appropriately sounding play on Alzheimer's. It just makes sense. By other favorite has been "bass ackwards" for "ass backwards". That being not an eggcorn, it is still demonstratabley funny in abuse of language.

[@dahasolomon7314]

That's exactly what I was thinking. I've most often learnt of these phrases in print, so I don't think I've miss heard any. But I've seen old timers disease before and I thought it was a charming way of saying Alzheimers disease. I honestly hope it become a thing. 😂

[@johnfitzgerald8879]

@@dahasolomon7314 From the comments, it appears that it is not only a thing but so obviously humorous that it keeps being re-discovered.

[@eefaaf]

@@johnfitzgerald8879 I think 'bass ackwards' is categorised as a Spoonerism. Like when I use "shaking a tower" for 'taking a shower'. It even works in the past tense. I shook a tower.

[@settlerjusquauparadis7729]

When your brain works faster than language you can get bored and start messing up the way you say things on "porpoise". I read a lot too so much of my word learning comes from the printed page. It makes it so that I don't have egg corns but there are complicated or borrowed words from other languages that I always said wrong in my head until I heard it spoken out loud. "deus ex machina" would be an example of that. I assumed the "i" would be the French i sound. Nope.

[@YllebNails]

Awww, I was waiting the whole time for one that I’ve been using wrong but I caught them all! I even knew about the butt/buck mystery. I’m not a linguist, just an avid reader who is always curious about the weird and wonderful language I speak! I also had an incredible teacher at school who really cemented a love of English in me, thank you Mr Lenehan! I still think of you 20+ years later when I learn some new interesting titbit/tidbit (that one depends if you’re English/a bunch of other places or North American!) about language, or stumble across a particularly amazing book! I loved this video, thank you for making it, eggcorns are so fun and they really are so clever in their own way!!

[@daveyinparis1]

I had a chuckle when I overheard two people talking about their past woes and they both agreed that "it was all water under the fridge". I've used it a few times since to get a bit of a laugh. Where would we be without occasionally using our malapropisms for their comic "affect"

[@StarkRG]

Yeah, you know, like when you drop an ice cube and can't be bothered picking it up so you just kick it under there where it melts into a puddle you neither notice nor care about.

[@shyft09]

😂 that's brilliant, definitely adding it to my vernacular

[@Sandman755]

Also an example of catachresis - misuse of grammar for comic effect. My favourite of those being Interplod from Only Fools and Horses. It will never be Interpol for me ever again.

[@oldsguy354]

I use "take it for granite" regularly for the humor value. Not to mention that I also regularly refer to a thing called "the interwebs" ;)

[@frankshailes3205]

@@oldsguy354 It's a deep-seeded problem.

[@brendal6951]

I have a friend who insists that to withhold strategic information is to not "tip your hat". I've explained that the phrase is "Don't tip your hand" - as in "don't let anyone see your cards" in Poker - but she is positive that tipping your hat means to give away a secret. Of course, if you're hiding a large bald spot beneath your hat, she's absolutely correct.

[@muurrarium9460]

LOL< since I only heard it used a few times (and yes too many people seem to be saying "tipping hats"), I started wondering if it was about saluting the wrong people? (You know: to pay respect to a person of higher rank by touching the headgear/ because of course that comes form the way older tradition of taking off your hat or cap entirely.)

[@user-jg6bd7se8u]

I've heard both. Tip my hat I've heard as "I tip my hat to you". Tipping ones hat is a show of acknowledgement. In my rural community it is as common as a wave or even a nod as we pass one another on the road. The tip your hand referring to not share information as you used it. I tip my hat to you for sharing!

[@bsteven885]

The phrase I usually hear is, "Don't show your hand."

[@infinitestare]

@@bsteven885 don't show your hat

[@drewpreston6478]

If she doesn't want to tip her hand, she should keep her cards close to the chest and not show her ace in the hold.

[@jessicabowen98]

I once had a student email me and ask for the copy of the rule brick for an assignment. I thought it was a clever eggcorn for rubric - a rubric does sort of have the rules for an assignment and sometimes the chart format is brick shaped. I think a lot of eggcorns happen because people speak more than they read, especially casual speech that is more idiomatic.

[@rubynkitchen8730]

This makes sense especially because i read a LOT as a kid and recognized all the eggcorns in the video except for damp squib (maybe a dialect thing? I'm very American) as incorrect.

[@darkstarr984]

@@rubynkitchen8730Same here, I never heard or saw that phrase before, but I recognized everything else

[@melissaw704]

😂rule brick… that’s hilarious

[@For_What_It-s_Worth]

If you don’t follow the rules, you get clobbered with it.

[@lindsierose797]

That's a very clever way to keep people from skipping your sponsored section. Well done!

[@jettlethedragonpeeltheoran8915]

One I am surprised you left out is "duck tape" for duct tape. This has become so prevalent that a brand called Duck Tape has arisen to take advantage of it, meaning that since the product really exists now, it has sort of nullified the eggcorn.

[@LucienHughes]

As another commenter said, this is actually a double eggcorn. Duct tape was originally made from "duck canvas" which comes from the Dutch "doek". It has nothing to do with ducts.

[@seigeengine]

The history of duck vs duct tape is a whole mess. It was originally duck tape after the fabric it was made with. Duct tape emerged as a brand name for a variant of duck tape used to seal ducts. Now we've even got "Duck Brand Duct Tape" which is really duck tape minus the duck, and it ain't got to do with ducks. Rather, the word duck for the fabric comes from a Dutch word.

[@owensspace]

There’s also a brand that calls it duck tape

[@functionatthejunction]

Duck tape is the original.

[@Primatologie]

See, that was an egg corn for me for a completely different reason that what everyone else is saying, so there's a whole 'nother layer. I always thought it was duct tape, but once I forgot that it was because it sealed ducts, I thought it was because of the lines of fabric that criss cross the material like ducts criss cross each other throughout buildings, lol. This is egg corn-ception. 😂

[@palofrasca1775]

I have an example of an eggcorn from Italian. The phrase "d'alto bordo" means "high-class" or "high-profile". Its literal translation is "from the high side (of the ship)". The idea is that the higher your cabin was on the ship, the higher your prestige. However, because of the obscureness and historical distance of the expression, people often mistakenly say "d'alto borgo" instead, meaning "from a high(-class) borough/village".

[@jellydarling1008]

That’s really interesting. Love this kind of insight

[@cattycorner8]

I have an idea that many of the phrases we use daily have undergone this kind of evolution, or devolution.

[@michaeljohnangel6359]

In his autobiography, Anthony Burgess wrote an eggcorn on purpose: "Isle of Yew" instead of "I love you." He also wrote that as a child in church, he couldn't understand why everybody was talking about the cross-eyed bear (the cross I bear). He was thoughtful enough to die immediately after finishing his autobiography; so, it's completely up to date. Thanks for making these videos, Rob. They're fabulous.

[@bcwbcw3741]

The bear has a name: Gladly, the cross-eyed bear.

[@bobbuethe1477]

And who can forget that classic 1950s TV sitcom about the "Isle of Lucy."

[@GopherBaroque61]

Oh, I thought it was a small island where female sheep reside. Isle of Ewe.

[@devenscience8894]

Since this video is all about pedantics, I'd say "Isle of Yew" is not an eggcorn, because it doesn't retain the same meaning.

[@Elesario]

I'd suggest that Isle of Yew is actually a Mondegreen. Still fun.

[@1ix8ys]

Thank you, Rob! I became excited to find and cite some samples in here--as a Hungarian linguist myself. There are hardly any examples for "ache-corns" in the common Hungarian language as far as I know, because our mother tongue is not a patchwork of loanwords from scarcely-related languages (contrary to repudiating statements). Foreign words, in turn, are not similar to corresponding Hungarian expressions as a rule, so ordinary people simply "dispell" 🙂 them. This is the only (almost-)eggcorn I could think of and verify as one in use: 'majonéz' (mayonnaise) is commonly called 'majomméz' ("monkey honey") by children, and was often called 'majomész' ("monkey mind") by my great-godmother [yes, I coined this term now], among many others, because she had been unfamiliar with it previously and loved humour; but all this is clearly fun and all "ex-samples" would actually be such that people are aware they are being funny (at least, the flavor of the word forms is). Hungarians generally love word-play, but we also understand our own tongue (we do not have an extra word for language, you see). "Magyar" is easy for natives... except, when writing it, we unawares create an "eggcone" 🙂, like the very webpage I visited in this my search, where they typed 'félemagyarázás' instead of 'félremagyarázás' (which do not sound identical). This might fit the definition of an eggcorn but--sorry, that's not the case because félre- ("aside") is an active prefix. But I am pleased to find this very typo right now as the meanings could be interchangeable: -féle = "-like, kind of" / félre- = "mis-" + 'magyarázás' = "interpretation." This axidental 🙂 word, 'félemagyarázás' can be an ideal definition for the phenomenon "eggcorn" since it means and realises "a misinterpretation" which is "an interpretation [or] the like." Greetings from Hungary!

[@csredmond518]

Just a day after watching this wonderful video, my wife received a little nugget in a work document. "... a last stitch effort." We think it fits! Thanks for the videos!

[@muststashyarn]

Works beautifully if you are a knitter/crocheter/sewist!

[@svenlima]

In Germany there is a term for this in relation to music. Many (most?) songs that we hear in the radio are sung in English but most people don't speak English well enough to understand it. So as kids we sang to the songs in a phonetical way - as we heard it. One girl heard the song "I got the power" and not speaking any English she heard "Agate Bauer" which is a first name and a surname. This annectode became a phenomenon and people started to reveil the misunderstandings they had when they weren't speaking English yet. This series is called "Agathe Bauer songs). You'll find some here on youtube - there's always the English original and the German version that people understood. Fore example: "all my feelings grow" = "Oma fiel ins Klo" = "Grandma fell into the toilet".

[@bananachip33]

This also happens in other languages, for example Rihanna in China is known as the queen of Shandong. in her song "we found love", it sounds like "wei fang de ai" which sounds like "weifang", a place in china, and the character for "love". Then she released another song called "where have you been", becoming "weihan youbing", or pancake from weihan, another city in shandong.

[@marcussuft7837]

There's another song lyric people in Germany understand the false way : "all the leaves are brown" is turning to "Anneliese Braun" - also a female Name in Germany But there are eggcorns in Germany too... "zum Beispiel" that means "for example" turned into "zum Bleistift" which means "to the pencil" 🙂... but why???

[@MrJeffrey938]

Thanks, I'll definitely enjoy falling down this rabbit hole. (I just thought, "Wait, is "rabbit hole" an eggcorn?")

[@insu_na]

@@marcussuft7837Pretty sure "zum Bleistift" is used ironically. At least I use it that way. So it's not that people who use "zum Bleistift" don't know that the correct phrase would be "zum Beispiel", but that people deliberately use a different, but funnier phrase.

[@scotpens]

@@MrJeffrey938 No, "rabbit hole" is a literary allusion to Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

[@paulcollyer801]

Sometimes there are deliberate and clever malapropisms, particularly in marketing:- I cannot name the camping store, it may no longer exists, but their winter sale ad is legendary:- “Now is the winter of our discount tents”

[@nthgth]

I love that, but I'm pretty sure an intentional malapropism is really just a pun. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[@FitzyCify]

If the store no longer exists, would that make the slogan past tents?

[@paulcollyer801]

@@FitzyCify, oh you’re GOOOOD 😂😂

[@no_peace]

Yeah, a lot of them come from slogans, word play or jokes.

[@Tigerbrown44]

Reminds me of an old joke: A man is talking to his therapist. “Hey Doc, i keep having this recurring dream, I’m a wigwam I’m a tepee I’m a wigwam I’m a tepee I’m a wigwam I’m a tepee! Therapist say, “relax, you’re two tents.”

[@TimeMail50]

My dear mother used to talk about someone with mental health challenges being taken away in the "paddy wagon". I've since come to believe that the proper term is "padded wagon", as in a vehicle with padded interior walls so that the person inside doesn't hurt themselves.

[@carvin2003]

I worked with a guy who said, "That's part of the course." I told him it was, "That's par for the course." He didn't believe me. And he was a golfer!

[@matthewcox431]

Well "par" is part of the course...

[@dietrickholliday4188]

😂 this is the best thing I've read on the internet this year

[@craigkatz8500]

.

[@supremesloth105]

@@matthewcox431not if you play like me.

[@billbolton]

did he have a big four head?

[@dannmartin7750]

Sorry if this one has already been mentioned, but my favorite eggcorn was unknowingly exposed by the comedian Sean Jordan when he stated on a podcast that one should "throw that cosh right into the wind". Pretty funny reaction when his cohosts went from complete confusion to realizing that he had spent his entire life thinking that risk takers were "throwing cosh into the wind".

[@dontaylor7315]

That's delicious! Thanks for that story.

[@danielmartin2000]

hello fellow namenheimer

[@adamcrain7993]

They do sort of mean the same thing.

[@trekkiejunk]

I would have to hear him say it, but are you sure this wasn't an intentional mis-speak? Like, when the kids say "rizz" as short for charisma? Adding "that" can make you sound folksy. "Throw that cosh to the wind, my dawg."

[@For_What_It-s_Worth]

@@danielmartin2000 hello fellow namenheimer < Translate to English > hello fellownamenheimer < See original (Translated by Google) > Say whaaat?

[@marieugorek5917]

One I remember using as a child was "a pigment of my imagination." Given my ability to visualize in great detail with fine color differentiations and the fact that painting is a way of creating worlds where there was blankness before, it made perfect sense that people used the word for coloring agents to discuss imagination. Whereas I knew what a fig was and what a mint was, but had never heard the word "figment" outside of the phrase about imagination, so it wasn't until a few adults were condescendingly laughing about my use of "pigment" without explaining what the word was that I realized I'd been saying it wrong.

[@JayBeckah]

I'm pretty sure I've used "a fragment of my imagination" when trying to remember "figment". 😅

[@trippingthelight]

hah! this reminds me of when I thought "pain in the neck" was "paint in the neck". Not a very funny mistake, except that I have vivid memories of just staring at these paint cans in my house, just pondering over the expression for long periods of time. I knew what it meant, just couldn't figure out what the hell paint had to do with it. This went on for years! I don't think it counts as an eggcorn, though.

[@elainebelzDetroit]

Those kinds of experiences - adults laughing w/o explaining to the kid - were just shy of traumatic for me as a kid. As an adult, I can understand what was going on, but as a child, it was just people laughing at me, which I read as disapproval. Maybe I was just over-sensitive as a kid.

[@marieugorek5917]

@@elainebelzDetroit Oh, it was definitely traumatic for me. the message I got was worth laughing at, but not worth teaching the phrase that wouldn't set me up to be teased or discounted later. They probably thought I was over-sensitive, by which they meant I was choosing not to deal with my emotions. The truth was that I was an undiagnosed autistic, my nervous system is LITERALLY more sensitive than most. I was dealing with my emotions the best I could, but no one had thought to teach me how to manage social rejection that registered as literal physical pain. I have decided that most of society is actually under-sensitive, and they deal with that deficit by berating those who pick up on the trends and details and subtleties they miss.

[@DrWhom]

purple really is a pigment of the imagination - it does not exist as a monochromatic colour

[@corkscrewfork]

Yup, definitely sounds like the reason I was told it's buck not butt goes out the window. I was told "when's the last time you saw a deer wear clothes?!" Other than that, only one you've mentioned that is an eggcorn that I've been using was "chomping at the bit" so now I'm off to go learn what'd the right version. Thank you for the lessons!

[@DarqJestor]

I read once about someone mishearing the phrase "it cost an arm and a leg" as "it cost a nominal egg", due to the NY (?) accent. I like both phrases.

[@ChristisKing0]

😂😂😂

[@tomjones2157]

Another commentator sai they read it in Reader's digest

[@TheRavenir]

Being raised as a Brazilian immigrant in Switzerland, I only ever really spoke Portuguese with my parents. As such, I thought that the Portuguese phrase "dar uma olhada" (have a look) was actually "dar uma molhada" (give a wetting) for around 20 years of my life. It made sense to me because I thought it meant something like wetting your feet before plunging into the water as a way of "testing" things.

[@ruralsquirrel5158]

Interestingly, in English we say just that "getting your feet wet", to try something out.

[@carolinereynolds2032]

Isn't it dipping a toe in the water?

[@Igor_054]

É por isso que sempre que escuto uma expressão nova, eu dou uma molhada em como se escreve.

[@LauraMorland]

@@carolinereynolds2032 It's both. Offhand, I'd hazard a guess that in AE "getting your feet wet" is more common.

[@connorjordan3551]

I lived in Brazil and learned Portuguese. I made up some of my own phrases such as "da uma ropada" (get dressed) and "encimada" (always on top of me) instead of "enciumada" or "senmigo" instead of "sem eu"

[@jamesbrowne6351]

I was told by my grandma that the term was buck naked and it referred to a skinned deer. One of my favorites is a hare's breath vs. a hair's breadth.

[@Jan-qv8ku]

I also think it’s about deer- Naked as a deer-

[@meson183]

Now you're just "splitting hares".

[@themadist2245]

From what I can tell it comes from "in the buck" but who the hell knows where that came from.

[@81660R3]

Can't get much more naked than skinless.

[@jeffreysherman8224]

​@@themadist2245Wait! I've heard being naked referred to as "in the buff" before. Is that an eggcorn too?

[@b4u334]

I've worked in law for the last 10 years and I can't count how many times I've been triggered with interoffice emails from cheers of concurrence stating "here here!" instead of "hear hear!" UGH!

[@andersholt4653]

Words that are misheard and therefore mistranslated: 1: When first seeing a Ferris wheel he/she thought they said "Paris wheel" and therefore it is now called a "Parisienne wheel" (Pariserhjul) in Swedish. 2: The most (in-)famous mistake must be the Grimm Brothers tale of Cinderella when translating if from French. The slipper was made of squirrel pelt/fur (vaire?) and not verre (glass). That mistake is still very much alive and kicking. Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪.

[@p1dru2art]

Squirrel Pelt would be a lot softer on your foot then I glass slipper...... squirrel Pelt

[@hanniffydinn6019]

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@DataLal]

I heard an alternate theory that it was supposed to be a "grass" slipper, but that doesn't make any sense in the context of French. Vaire/verre, that makes much more sense.

[@tracik1277]

Squirrel fur from the soft underbelly is called faire.

[@paullambert8701]

How about "Vår fru dagen" becoming "våffeldagen"? We even eat waffles on that day. (For non-Swedes. Vår fru dagen means "Our Lady Day" literally and is the Swedish name for the Feast of the Annunciation. It sounds close to "våffeldagen" which means "waffle day".)

[@wscottwatson]

My mother was a teacher so I learned about malapropisms and spoonerisms long before they mentioned things like them at school. She would use them deliberately. My favourite when she learned I can do many things as well with my left hand as my right - she told everyone I am amphibious!

[@Joseph-jt3vg]

That’s hilarious. My dad would do the same things when I was a kid. He’d say “obstacle delusion” instead of optical illusion. I’m pretty sure that one and others were on purpose. But he is dyslexic so Kimbles and Bits instead of Kibbles and Bits might be how he read it literally. Lol

[@cwavt8849]

My dad and husband did the same. Now, I do! But, sadly, with each passing year, fewer people are educated enough to get a laugh 🥺

[@ForestFire369]

Instead of "foregone conclusion", my dad says "foreskin contusion"

[@kenverge2039]

@@ForestFire369 This one made me cringe and laugh at the same time!

[@gtrgar4561]

For me, I do some things strictly left handed, some things strictly right handed, and somethings with either hand - I call myself as ambiguous.

[@chrish2879]

One I've heard many people misuse, and then argue I'm wrong when I gently correct them, is: "to change tact" (presumably short for 'tactic', or approach). The right phrase is "to change tack" which is a sailing term and describes the zig-zagging motion you make when sailing into the wind (tacking into the wind), in which you must change tack (i.e. direction) regularly to make progress.

[@medes5597]

You're right, but tact is a word in its own right - OED gives it as - "the ability to say or do the right thing without making anyone unhappy or angry" So I would guess theyre thinking change your approach to a more tactful one. That's a really good one because it sounds so close and the meaning isnt much of a stretch.

[@channelmoved9096]

TIL. I always thought it was to change tact, which makes a lot of sense when dealing with people, as opposed to change tack, which only makes sense if you happen to be on a sail boat.

[@chrish2879]

@@medes5597 Absolutely, which makes this a great example of an eggcorn. The original doesn’t really make a lot of sense if you don’t know anything about sailing, and the listener substitutes it for a word that arguably makes more sense.

[@chrish2879]

@@channelmoved9096 Isn’t that the point of an eggcorn, though? That the new saying seems to make more sense than the original, even though it’s wrong? There are lots of saying that have a weird origin, but have since become more widely used. There are loads of sayings with a nautical origin, for example, which even gives rise to the comedic organisation CANOE - the Committee to Ascribe a Nautical Origin to Everything.

[@fett713akamandodragon5]

Honestly both make equal sense and in the same way, as both imply a change of approach, whether approaching the wind, a person or situation.

[@mariongillon6208]

Well Rob, I have never done and never do any of these. I call my husband Mr. Malaprop, but not because he uses any of these either. He makes up his own. He thinks I speak properly because I come from Connecticut, where (they used to, anyway), take great pride in teaching English Grammar in grade schools. I am very grateful for this educational bonus gifted to me in my childhood. 😊

[@cjkaon]

My mom moved from France, she was familiar with the expression, "Penny for your thoughts," so when she heard, "I don't give a damn", she mistook it as, "I don't give a dime." It took her years to realize the mistake, but I must admit I like the "dime" version more.

[@cydkriletich6538]

I hope you gave her your two cents worth when explaining it to her! 😊

[@jsax01001010]

I could see someone intentionally saying "I don't give a dime" to avoid saying a "swear word".

[@ArchieOnEarth]

@@cydkriletich6538Because people put their two cents in, but it’s only a penny for your thoughts, I’ve always wondered who is making that one cent of profit.

[@trinkabuszczuk6138]

That works! 😊

Was this prefaced with "Frankly, my dear"? ;-)

[@jonas000111]

English was our second language. My mom would always say, "Are you killing me?" when we said something she didn't believe. We never corrected her and just laughed.

[@Tinil0]

Hah, I use this as wordplay often, or another related version of "You have to be killing me!" instead of "You have to be kidding me!"

[@fancifuldevices]

Omg. My mom has a million- anal retainer being a favorite.

[@daze023]

2 darn cute

[@cllew5919]

My nephew once said "are you losing my mind?"

[@waverider8549]

My Mom too

[@Evil_Underlord]

I grew up with furniture made of iron rods welded together. For years, I thought it was called 'rod iron' furniture; 'wrought iron' made sense when I ran across it, but 'rod iron' fit my experience just fine.

[@drewfeld8483]

In most cases, "wrought iron" is actually steel. Iron is an element, and steel is made mostly of iron. But things that are made (for all purposes) of just iron are very, very rare. Even cast iron has a lot of carbon mixed with the iron. More carbon, even, than steel would have. Long story, I know.

[@cattycorner8]

I do not think you are the only one who has thought this

[@my2cents2u]

My two favorites: Having your pet 'spaded'. You _spay_ a pet. Past tense is 'spayed'. _"Step_ foot into . . ." It's redundant. You _"set_ foot into . . . ." I've heard almost all of the 'egg corns' in the video. It's true, some of them seem to make more sense then the proper terminology. Thanks for the vid, Very entertaining and enlightening.

[@potholetheband6475]

I just shared this video on Facebook with the caption "I like this sort of thing" and a friend of mine commented "It's just a phrase you're going through" Which I thought was rather good.

[@HFV_Junkyardin]

Ba dump tiss

[@chrisso1973]

🤣 love that one!

[@xy1036]

‚Just a phrase I‘m going through‘ is actually a very enjoyable book on linguistigs by Davis Crystsl I had almost forgotten. Thanks for the reminder. :-)

[@breadfan_85]

That's a keeper.

[@MorinehtarTheBlue]

Eggcorn or clever pun though? 😅

[@verdedoodleduck]

The phrase 'Old Timer's Disease' was always used - by the folks I knew - as a light hearted variant (usually when teasing someone) to avoid talking about an actual disease. I imagine a few of these started out as fun wordplay.

[@abbyh5158]

When I was 5, I got in a lot of trouble for this one, because I was "being rude."

[@steve-4045]

Yes, I have heard it just as a joking reference to the kinds of things us old folks regularly experience, not the actual disease. I’m reminded of the lady whose pastor asked if she ever thought about the hereafter. “Yes,” she said, “every day. I’ll come into a room and wonder, ‘what did I come in here after.’” If you like long enough, you can relate to that.

[@Tinil0]

I imagine you are right, wordplay is pretty common and people are very prone to using phrases they don't fully understand. ...Actually, this has a much more sinister relative now that I consider it, it's related to how presenting ironic opinions inevitably leads to dumb people not realizing you were being ironic and gradually attracting people who earnestly believe it. Think flat eartherism. In the history of the modern movement, which started in the 50s IIRC, it was obviously extremely fringe but there were a decent amount of people who embraced it ironically because it was so silly. It wasn't until the 2000s and the explosion of social media and youtube that we started seeing increasing numbers of people ACTUALLY believing that nonsense. Another example would be how the reddit subreddit "The Donald" was originally a joke subreddit because Trump was such a joke candidate and yet, for anyone who has the misfortune of interacting with American politics, we all know how that spiraled out of control eventually. It's a shame, because being ironic is a type of humor I appreciate and feel drawn to, but it needs to be used responsibly. Luckily, wordplay is much lower stakes and we can just laugh a little at people who are unfortunately fooled into sounding a little silly without any problems.

[@beatrix1120]

​@@steve-4045My Grandma is always going on about her mean friend Arthur. Arthur Ritus

[@maynardhogg]

This portion of the video reminded me of a potential Japanese candidate: aruchūhaimzu (アル中ハイマズ), a decades‐old coining for drinking oneself blotto. The starting point was アル中, a typically Japanese shortening of arukōru chūdoku (アルコール中毒, literally "alcohol addiction.") I had to write "potential candidate" because my Japanese drinking buddies used it more or less deliberately to equate drunken stupor with the "brain frog" of Alzheimer's. BTW, decades ago, the term in vogue was chihoshō (地保証, dementia), but the katakana version of アルツハイマー has long taken over.

[@sykes1024]

Not 100% sure which classification this counts as, but as a kid I thought that the phrase "so sue me" was actually one word "sosumi" that was just like a borrowed japanese word that meant something like "there's nothing to be done about it now" kinda like how one would use the phrase "c'est la vie". Went around saying this to adults when chided for things not knowing how flippant I was coming off.

[@infinitestare]

not a native speaker, and for the longest of times I thought that the phrase "Suit yourself" was "Sue it yourself" as in, "Make your own judgement as to what you're missing out on here"

[@Frostweather]

Dude, that is hilarious

[@AlphamagnusCreations]

Amber Lamps was used in an old KZbin video. I still yell it when an ambulance drives by me

[@jeanneratterman]

@@AlphamagnusCreations😂😂😂 amber lamps! 🎉

[@kristinbrowne8756]

There's actually a sound file named sosumi, for the exact same reason you logically defaulted to that ... if you put it into wikipedia you should find the article on it.

[@sharondornhoff7563]

One eggcorn I see a lot in online conversations with other pet rodent owners is "skiddering". The actual word people are looking for is "skittering", but writing it with Ds in place of Ts *does* conjure the image of a little pocket pet half-running, half-skidding its way across a smooth surface, feet and nails scrabbling for traction.

[@victoronnie]

here's an eggcorn in norwegian that i like! it's the phrase "å få jernteppe", which means to momentarily forget something you know or something you were about to say, like when you're doing a test in school and you _know_ you know the answer to this question but it just evaporated from your memory. in english, the phrase literally means "to get an iron curtain" (same origin as the metaphor used about the cold war!) and the common eggcorn is "å få hjerneteppe", literally "to get a brain curtain"

[@tom_4615]

That’s brilliant!.. how do you pronounce the two?

[@victoronnie]

@@tom_4615 you can input the words into google translate and hear the norwegian text-to-speech voice say them. they're identical besides the eggcorn's extra "e" in the middle

[@RobWords]

A perfect eggcorn.

[@digdablooz]

“if worse comes to worst” is meant to mean if a bad situation becomes a dire situation but almost everyone I know says “if worse comes to worse” … which basically is saying if the situation remains unchanged

[@weirdofromhalo]

Actually, the correct idiom is "if worst comes to worst," i.e., the worst situation arises. So people have been getting it wrong for a long time.

[@existenceisillusion6528]

@@weirdofromhalo Came to this video to find this exact reply to this exact comment. Haha, just kidding, it was completely axe a dental.

[@Dru_Won]

I've seen a whole lot of people lately just confusing the words "worse" and "worst" in general

[@sportbikejesus]

“Worst” does not mean “more bad than worse”. Worse is the comparative and is only for 2 things. Worst is the superlative and is only for 3 or more. It’s a fallacy to think “oh man, it was worse already and now it’s worst” Correct usage: Chevy is worse than Ford. Pontiac is the worst of all.

[@Noodles4Anime]

Worse comes to worse could just mean a bad situation that got worse.

[@meerkatmalone5064]

A former coworker of my mother's once described a movie she had recently seen as having too much "sexual in-the-window" instead of "sexual innuendo". My mom, sisters, and I still say it incorrectly for laughs👍

[@twillbdone3273]

I love this. My mother did this type of thing so often. My sister and myself also have this trait of turning words inside out and backwards. To have my mom, sister and myself engaged in a conversation almost sounded like another language besides English. All three of us would not miss a beat and understand everything. Dad would have to leave the room. Over whelming to a word purist.

[@andraspongracz5996]

This should be called a haycorn. The wrong form doesn't make much sense.

[@robertpatter5509]

Sexual in-the-window? So you've been to Amsterdam as well I see. Hope you saw the Holy Stroopwafel while you were there.

[@robertpatter5509]

@@andraspongracz5996 In the Netherlands you can see women in windows. It's at the Red Light District. Now that's sexual in-the-window

[@andyman8630]

sexxual in-your-endo

[@D-man_Dustin]

Anchor away vs Anchor aweigh, the latter is the correct term. The meaning is the anchor has been lifted from bottom and the boat can now move. Most people use “ anchors away” in the context of dropping the anchor, which is also wrong.

[@Unknown17]

That's mind bottling!

[@amyhelton6364]

A child I babysat long ago, asked me to polish her finger tails and toe tails. “Nails were in wood, but tails are on the end of things”…The child was three years old when she explained this brilliant eggcorn.

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

As I read this comment, I puzzled over it. I had subconsciously converted tails to nails before the explanation. So the explanation was completely out of context. A nonsequitor.

[@Xubuntu47]

The logic of toddlers can really make you question your assumptions sometimes.

[@tonyaprim3047]

Reminds me of my son calling a sidewalk a sideblock since the squares of cement appeared to be blocks lining the side of a driveway or lawn.

[@mackdeen7021]

Cute but not an eggcorn. Thats just a child not pronouncing a word.

[@peggyseabrun4829]

​@mackdeen7021 if you read it properly , it makes sense. Fingernails are at the end of fingers and toenails are at the ends of toes, the tail ends if you will.

[@baldeagle5297]

I didn't find any egg corns that I use, but I think I'll start using one. I love the "French Benefits," It sounds risque and exotic.

[@cattycorner8]

lolol

[@larryrapshaw8405]

Ohhhhh, Baby

[@thebishma]

Great video. The one's I've been using incorrect for years are "free reign" and "just desserts", And your ad read in this one was a work of genius.

[@eriksebelius6381]

My high school friend thought “redundant” was actually “re-done it” which is brilliant if you ask me.

[@ScottJohnson-v3v]

One I found myself using for years is "kitten kaboodle", which seemed delightful but was, in reality, "kit and kaboodle", a type of sewing kit. I'm let down that kittens are not somehow at the center of it.

[@simonblackwell3576]

Woah I didn’t know this one, that’s cool to know

[@soymuymuy]

Til

[@John_Weiss]

There is a German phrase with the same meaning: „mit Kind und Kobold“ … which looks a great deal like "kit and kaboodle." The German phrase translated literally to "with kid and helper-house-spirit." A „Kobold“ was something like the Scandinavian nisse: helpful hidden-folk that would do little tasks if you were good to them and Followed the Rule [of the supernatural], but would play pranks on you if you were unkind to them. So to leave „mit Kind und Kobold“ meant that you were not only taking everything _and_ the kitchen sink, you were clearing out with the non-physical members of the house too!

[@thornback5641]

Well if you need a phrase for mad I have a cat one for you "shitting kittens"(Man Tom is going to be shitting kittens when he finds out.) I dont think it came from anywhere else. But its also funny 😂😂😂😂. And while its not got cat in the phrase it- "Bitter shitbox"(Karen is such a bitter shitbox" kinda implies a litterbox in my mind. Ive been using both for years.

[@eeeriebrilliance]

Aww... Just knit one ..

[@marshaburdick4186]

One of my daughters once told me they had studied "ultra-violent light" in science class. She repeated it twice during the conversation, and then I screamed and tried to ward off the deathly blows of the sun. We both had a good laugh.

[@krikeles]

Since uv light can cause skin cancer Ulta violent might be a better name

[@joelsmith4394]

Seems to me that I saw that movie.

[@harikrishna69]

CF Alex in A Clockwork Orange, an his pursuit of "ultra violence"

[@gravelpit5680]

me glazzies! 🔥

[@katakana1]

Wait until she learns about infra-dead

[@joaomelo7538]

I have a Portuguese eggcorn. There is a saying that essentially means "better be safe than sorry" which reads: "não vá o diabo tecê-las" (literally: in case the devil does his thing). But for years I heard and said "não vá o dia apetecê-las" (in case the day feels like it)

[@lordofthe6string]

I think your version is lovely in English. 'In case the day feels like it' :)

[@ismu34]

In Japanese we say “man ga ichi” which means “one in ten thousand”

[@shap8981]

A favorite I’ve seen multiple times in online classified ads is “rot iron” instead of “wrought iron” 😂

[@mattwoolley]

I’ve heard “rod iron” which is close and actually could make sense.

[@adamb89]

Rot iron is technically rust.

[@kermitbearden7142]

mile steel, it's really long.

[@janetd4862]

I love language! My daughter was working retail years ago and a customer asked where the “fox fur” throws were. She told the customer that they didn’t carry anything like that. The customer insisted that the store had them at Christmas time - some looked like mink, some looked like leopard…. The woman was asking for “faux fur” throws. She told me about this later, and ever since we’ve used the word “fox” for anything fake and still laugh about it.

[@robogeek7842]

You should augment your fox fur with kitten caboodle

[@jpdemer5]

I flip it around, and refer often to "Faux News".

[@alidabotes6264]

​@@robogeek7842 Kit & caboodle. .

[@AuntNutmeg]

Years ago at work my coworkers and I got a hearty laugh over an ad that came in the mail for "Genuine faux pearls!" We started making up the backstory for them: they were found by natives of the Faux Islands, etc. We referred back to the Faux Islands for months. 😂

[@ToyInsanity]

A lot of youtubes say down the pipe lol

[@bruceschneider4928]

I once had an editor argue that "One fail swoop" was correct because she found it on the internet. She could not be persuaded otherwise. Readers let her know how wrong she was.

[@adelinetomasone1421]

An EDITOR? RELYING on user content on internet? Omg! It's ONE FELL SWOOP. PERIOD.

[@Urroner]

You need to explain to her the different between "fail" and "fell", which means "sinister" or "killing."

[@adamcrain7993]

😪

[@masonb9788]

AN EDITOR?? Man I picked the wrong career.

[@lewisthedude]

Thanks for explaining this phenomenon! I have been thinking about this for a while. I'm a native spanish speaker and my wife (who is russian) produced quite a fair bit of eggcorns while getting to grips with the Spanish language. As you mentioned, I never thought of it as a sign of stupidity or lack of education, on the contrary, I was impressed by the plasticity and logical train of throught she presented. My favourite example is with the word "inquilino" (meaning tenant in Spanish, as in someone who leases a house from a landlord or landlady) it comes from latin and the etimology is disconnected from modern Spanish at this point, so she understood and used it as "alquilino" which not only sounds remarkably similar but makes even more sense ("alquilar" being the Spanish verb meaning "to rent") It does sound like a word that could actually exist, I found that so cute!

[@cdouglashall]

1:01 They’re wrong! OMG, thank you again! There is no reason to be on the fence about this! THEY’RE WRONG! Rob, you are an asset to Humanity. Thank you!

[@Ult-roman]

The whole point of the video is that the eggcorns are fine, actually

[@bikerjock2654]

I can only think of a mondegreen that amused me. A girl talking to her grandfather asks if they can sing the ‘Pie Weighing’ song. Her grandfather asks her what she means, and the girl replies, “you know - somewhere over the rainbow, weigh a pie”. Another entertaining and educational video, Rob.

[@KrisHughes]

Being a Scot, I'm familiar with the Bonny Earl o' Moray ballad, and know the correct words, but I didn't know this was the source of mondegreen - a word which always puzzled me.

[@digitalnomad9985]

I was musically precocious, and enthusiastically sang hymns at church before I started school and learned to read. When the chorus for "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder" I was singing, "When the roll is called a pyonder" even though I had no idea what a pyonder was or what it had to do with heaven.

[@tedscout4304]

My ex husband always left when the cleaning lady arrived - her name was Lorraine - hence my son used to sing Rod Stewart's song "When Lorraine came, I thought you'd leave ....."

[@rosco1pug]

@@tedscout4304 And the Creedence Clearwater Revival band wrote that song, 'Who'll stop Lorraine?'

[@eugenedillenburg3329]

I pledge an eagle to the flag of the United States of America...

[@Dougeb7]

I use the "correct" form of most of these phrases (the butt/buck naked controversy aside) because I read a lot and have seen them spelled out. I project that eggcorns will spread eggsponentially as our culture moves from word-based to audio and video.

[@WillWillisIV]

I think my antisocial youth spent in libraries served me well on this video.

[@randallalton6310]

I agree that reading really educates one away from eggcorns, at least in the last 200 years since spelling was standardized. Reading helps two ways- seeing a phrase spelled out correctly defines it, and a wider knowledge of the world explains orgins of phrases.

[@donjones4719]

One has to read good source material. Social media is very active as text also; witness this forum interaction. Additionally, teenagers absorbing language & grammar from tweets are seeing many erroneous examples of language usage.

[@TheIronDuke9]

@@donjones4719 I think when someone claims that they "read a lot" they are not referring to social media, twitter, etc - but rather published books

[@leefisher6366]

Similar - I also solve cryptic crosswords where wordplay may reference 'sounds like' or homonyms, which remind me of the write one to right down as the answer.

[@Stavboy]

I was absolutely positive that you wouldn't find an eggcorn that I've been using, as you boldly stated you would, since I've been obsessed with them for many a year. But by god, you got me. 'To the manner born'. I had no idea. Well done!

[@bruceyanoshek626]

I wonder if there might be any editions of Shakespeare out there that have it wrong, because of some editor's assumption.

[@BRIDINC1972]

Grew up watching To the Major Born so never realised the phrase was to the manner born. 😆

[@DavidSmith-vr1nb]

Same, also because of that programme.

[@patrickbodine1300]

Isn't it actually " to the manner borne"? Asking for a friend.

[@mathboy8188]

"Manner born"... that was the only one he listed that I've always gotten wrong. Also, I'd never even heard "wet squib" before.

[@Marie-JoseLandry]

Hello Rob, I’m a French speaking Canadian and the 3/4 of my family on my mother’s side are English and when I was little my parents wanted me to learn English to be able to talk with my cousins. We used to go camping every weekend on the summer times and one equipment used was a step-in-bag…. 🤣 for many years I kept saying step-in-bag and no body corrected me lol later on I knew it was written sleeping bag but I kept saying it wrong until I heard one of my kids saying it correctly sleeping bags lol 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I was like , well my reasoning was right you do step inside de bag 🤣🤣

[@nealesmith1873]

Very interesting! I think my brother came up with an eggcorn in Spanish. He once said "agusado" instead of "abusado" -- which can mean smart. He defended his use of agusado based on the word "agudo" which means sharp...so clearly related to being smart.

[@fuferito]

Another popular one in parts of the US with lots of Spanish speakers is Abogado avocado.

[@elizabethmartinez4086]

Actually, aguzado IS what’s accepted by the Real Academia de la Lengua Española, common though “abusado” is, especially in Mexico (The common phrase is “Ponte abusado/aguzado” meaning “Wise up!” or “Keep your wits about you.” So it’s one of those errors that are so common in some regions that many/most think they’re correct. (Descriptive vs prescriptive linguists might enjoy going at each other about this one 😆)

[@AlejandroRodriguez-se4ue]

I'm Cuban and I have opften struggled with a possible eggcorn, though I had no idea that was their name. There's an expression that comments on the familiarity and confidence that a person exhibits in a place that, at first, is unknown to them. This meaning began with a positive character, since it highlights the conviction with which actions are carried out. However, currently its use has a pejorative connotation that indicates a person's overconfidence or impertinence. The actual phrase is: "como Pedro por su casa" (like Peter around his home). The faux phrase is: "como perro por su casa" (like a dog around home). They sound pretty similar if you pronounce them fast and the dog one makes more sense to me even to this day. Everyone understands how a dog goes confidently through his home!

[@Lynn.Panadero4242]

In English we would say he makes himself at home.

[@frankmerrill2366]

And more homes have a perro in them, than a Pedro, so there's that.

[@B3VAN1]

Probably the most effective use of an ad in a KZbin video, forcing watchers to actually watch the full ad and not skip ahead. Definitely deserves a like 👍

[@VincentFastFingers]

I skipped it.

[@UndecidedSociety]

​@VincentFastFingers I also skipped it. Thanks, sponserblock!

[@Mikelaxo]

I skipped it lol

[@user-ff4tw8uf4b]

I enjoyed it

[@rubyk.1506]

It was clever and kind of fun!

[@joshhouse1794]

So glad I’ve found this video! For years I thought Marilyn Manson’s Beautiful People lyrics were “you can’t see the forest for the trees, YOU CANT SMELL THE OCEAN FOR THE BREEZE” which I think is actually a better lyric than the actual lyrics.

[@Gilsworth]

My eggcorn was "free reign" and I'm both blown away and pleased to catch an error I make in this video. Both of my parents are deaf, and I'm Icelandic, but I grew up in the states, so pronunciation was never a factor in my life when growing up since I never used my voice at home and was always the weird foreign kid growing up anyway. But after returning home, I always prided myself on my English ability, sometimes even to an obnoxious degree. So to be humbled now, as an adult, is so lovely. It reminds me that we never stop learning, and that the point of languages is not to follow some rules perfectly, but to express your intent in a way that comes across. Eggcorns show us that this is still possible when we do it in our own way.

[@justmeonly986]

Sweet!

[@ceedee873]

Well said :)

[@johnstobart7028]

But keep up the Icelandic. Such a beautiful language and so few people who speak it!

[@MDoddio]

I give that eggcorn a hall pass as the words reign, rein, and rain are homonymphs (see what I did there 😜)

[@janicemeek8104]

😊

[@manthasagittarius1]

A friend has e-mailed me to tell me a similar story to the Silent Night mondegreen, though not technically one of that genre. The Sunday School class that drew the bible stories had one kid illustrate the "Flight into Egypt" with a big Boeing type passenger liner and the heads of the holy family showing in three consecutive windows, with halos. Funny enough, but there was also a big stern-looking head of a man in the cockpit. When asked, the child identified him as "Pontius the Pilot."

[@phaedrapage4217]

Well, of course. Who else was going to fly the plane? Lol

[@Quoodle1]

Of course, they could flea into Egypt - all those camels.

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

Too cute

[@idagenova7519]

We New Jersey kids liked to pronounce it "Punch-us Pilot."

[@MrVvulf]

The eggcorn that gets my goat is when people write (you can't tell when spoken), "That peaked my interest.".

[@masterimbecile]

Yeah I think that totally counts!

[@evilbob840]

Good one!

[@stevegill1157]

Brilliant ...that one gets me too

[@Sam_Green____4114]

why what should it be ?

[@dunastie]

@@Sam_Green____4114 I think it should be piqued instead of peaked