" Olive, the other reindeer"; was Re: "Trolling" for "Trawling": An Eggcorn?

Cohen, Gerald Leonard gcohen at UMR.EDU
Thu Aug 2 20:24:26 UTC 2007


Was "Olive, the other reindeer" actually (mis)understood this way by a child (as, e.g. "Pontius Pilot" or "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear") or was this consturction with Olive humorously invented by an adult?
 
Gerald Cohen

________________________________

From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Arnold M. Zwicky, Thu 8/2/2007 10:26 AM



On Aug 1, 2007, at 7:26 PM, Lary Horn wrote:

> Well, we've established that there is such a verb as "troll", with
> precisely the appropriate meaning, but its currency is severely
> limited.  Because of this, I wonder if there be young lads and lasses
> scattered about who have innovated an eggcornish reading of this
> line, i.e.
>
> Troll, the ancient Yuletide carol
>
> --alongside its companion,
>
> Gladly, the cross-eyed bear

now added to the posting, along with "Olive, the other reindeer".

arnold

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