This is almost an eggcorn

[David Bowie]

From:    Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>

> Yes, "attic" for "addict" seems like simply a misspelling based on
> the phonology of certain dialects; "addict" for "attic" is harder to
> figure.

How so? If the words are really and truly "merged", why wouldn't we
expect some level of what looks a bit like free variation between them?
I mean, it's not like one of the words is so amazingly obscure that
nobody's seen it before--they both can show up on sweeps-week TV news
teasers, for example. ("The danger in your attic!" "The story of an
addict" and such.)

--
David Bowie                               University of Central Florida
     Jeanne's Two Laws of Chocolate: If there is no chocolate in the
     house, there is too little; some must be purchased. If there is
     chocolate in the house, there is too much; it must be consumed.

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