eggcorn candidate: "undermind"

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Wed Dec 28 05:09:51 UTC 2005


During a visit to Supercuts this morning, I was surprised, although
not shocked, to hear my barber--who was explaining that she didn't
want to punish her stepson, who was grounded at home by his mom,
since after all *she* hadn't been there, and the stepson didn't say
anything objectionable to *her*, but on the other hand (referring to
the stepson's mother)

"I don't want to undermind her"

This struck me as more of an eggcorn than a slip or "performance
error", especially since I could imagine a context in which
reanalysis might have taken place, e.g.:

"I don't want to undermine Dad" ==> "I don't want to undermind Dad"

--besides the fact that perhaps one might think that undermining
someone involves a kind of failing to mind them.

In any case, a check of google did bring up some parallel cites:

It is absolutely appalling at how many people out there want to undermind and
abolish the system that keeps them safe and warm at night.

These pieces of garbage really want to undermind the United States.

i just dont want to undermind him and say.... well i want some hcg
tests done because i dont think you are right lol

I don't want to undermind the great advice from anybody on this forum

Glad you feel better and I certainly don't want to undermind your physician nor
your experiences. BUT birth control pills are LOADED with estrogen

I don't want to undermind my guy's attorney, but we can use all the
help we can get with his mental problems and no help in the system.

Larry



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