crumble/crumple

[Victor Steinbok]

Grammar girl posted on Google+:

> I was reminded today of how I crumbled into a sobbing heap when Frosty
> melted in "Frosty the Snowman."

My first thought was "crumbled? really?" Google bears this out:

300K+ raw for "crumpled into a heap"; 50K+ for "crumbled into a heap";
346K for "collapsed into a heap"

"Crumble" does not mean "collapse"--in means "break down into small pieces".

Eggcorn? Or just a less favored variant? My inclination is the former,
as it seems to be a reinterpretation.

     VS-)

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org