eggcornish "tattletale signs"

[Arnold Zwicky]

On Jun 11, 2009, at 9:14 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> But ... "tattle" = "tell (on)" -- from OED, "3. To talk without
> reticence so as to reveal secrets or private affairs; to blab, 'tell
> tales'."
>
> And the OED has for "tattle-tale", "1. = TELL-TALE n. (a.) ".  From
> 1889 through 1977, including the attributive "1962 'K. ORVIS' Damned
> & Destroyed xiii. 89 Helen's tattle-tale scars." and the comb.
> "tattle-tale gray".  (Reminds me -- I need to do a wash.)
>
> Not an eggcornish pasty to me, just two words with the same meaning.

i stand corrected.

arnold

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