Eggcorn

[Wilson Gray]

On Dec 27, 2004, at 4:02 PM, Dennis R. Preston wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Eggcorn
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> I'm with Larry on the simpler 'acre' for 'earth' replacement (from
> the TV show, one of the few things which does not make me proud to be
> a Hungarian). In fact, 'God's Little Acre' was withheld from many
> children (although I got my little hooks on it) and is a much less
> likely source.
>
> dInIs

I agree, dInIs. I  had the feeling that I wasn't quite right. "God's
Little Acre" is probably older than the good judge. And more
interesting. Well, at least it was, for its day.

-Wilson

>
>
>
>> At 2:48 PM -0500 12/27/04, Wilson Gray wrote:
>>> Heard on today's The People's Court, spoken by Judge Marilyn Millan:
>>>
>>> How, _on God's green acre_, do you explain this?
>>>
>>> For the younger members: back in the day, there was a popular novel
>>> and
>>> a movie with the title, "God's Little Acre," which the good judge
>>> appears to have crossed with the common expression, "on God's green
>>> earth."
>>>
>>> -Wilson Gray
>>
>> You're omitting another crucial ingredient in the blend:  "Green
>> Acres", a TV show from the late '60's, spun off from Petticoat
>> Junction.  No, I wasn't a devotee (it didn't go well with all that
>> smoked banana peel).
>>
>> Larry
>
>
> --
> Dennis R. Preston
> University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
> Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African
> Languages
> A-740 Wells Hall
> Michigan State University
> East Lansing, MI 48824
> Phone: (517) 432-3099
> Fax: (517) 432-2736
> preston at msu.edu
>