deep-seeded desire

[sagehen]

Matthew Gordon writes:

>This is the second time in as many days that I've had an egghorn in my own
>mind pointed out to me. I would have said the form was 'deep-seeded' for
>this one - makes more sense than 'deep-seated' to me.
>
>The other one that recently came to light for me was 'shoo-in' which I had
>as 'shoe-in' in my mind until I read the former yesterday. Neither makes
>much semantic sense to me.
>
>Oh well, I guess I'm just another indication of the declining standards of
>literacy, SOTA, etc.
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Egghorn"  could well have something to do with this!
 "Shoehorn in" is sometimes heard and could easily influence the concept of
"shoo-in."
(The number of households with shoehorns may be small, but even so, still
greater than the number with, say, a flock of chickens, from which
"shoo-in" might come.  OTOH, "shoo-in" is supposed to suggest a certain
inevitability, even ease, whereas a flock of chickens can be maddeningly
skittish & hard to
shoo-in to the henhouse.)
AM

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