Eggcorn?

[Wilson Gray]

Related to U.S. "cough it up," perhaps?

-Wilson

On 10/19/05, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Eggcorn?
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>
> Probably not an eggcorn, though still a surprise.  "Cough" is an old slang term for "confess," but I haven't run into it in a long time.  It's evidently never lost currency in Britain.
>
> Cf., from a uk e-address:
>
> 2002 The Drug Test on the Other Foot (Usenet :rec.arts.sf.fandom )(July 8) http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.fandom/browse_frm/thread/476185ae6d5df7d/6602e611535cbcfe?lnk=st&q=%22coughs+to%22&rnum=7#6602e611535cbcfe : You turn over his digs and find a load of stuff nicked from other houses. Joe X coughs to, say six burglaries.
>
>
>
> HDAS has U.S. exx. from 1899-1921.
>
>
>
> JL
>
>
> Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Wilson Gray
> Subject: Eggcorn?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Apple coughs to iPod Nano screen flaws"
>
> Headline at
>
>
>
> The URL itself - "apple_admits" - makes it clear that what is meant is
> "cops to."
>
> -Wilson Gray
>
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--
-Wilson Gray