Language Log/eggcorn database media sighting

Arnold M. Zwicky zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU
Sun Nov 11 18:38:01 UTC 2007


On Nov 9, 2007, at 5:28 AM, David Bowie wrote:

> The Washington Post runs chats with some of their reporters/
> columnists.
> In Gene Weingarten's latest one, the Language Log and eggcorn database
> are mentioned. I don't know enough about the history of them to know
> if
> the chatter got the details of the relationship right, but i figured
> it
> was worth a mention.

the chat:

Kansas City, Mo.: Regarding misused expressions, such as "intensive
purpose", "jive with", "chomping at the bit", "straightened arrow",
and so on, there is a name for these: eggcorns. The term was coined by
the blog Langauge [sic] Log. They've been keeping a database of them,
up to nearly 600 eggcorns including all those mentioned in the chat,
all with citations.

the term was indeed coined on Language Log, but the database is a
separate operation managed by Chris Waigl (with the help of some
Language Loggers).

Language Log's most recent eggcorn posting:

AZ, 11/11/07: Lolcat, meet eggcorn:
  http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005103.html

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