Eggcorn-like euphemism

[Wilson Gray]

>From the lips of Judge Greg Mathis:

"I hope that you not _flirtin' around_ with those street gangs out there!"

The good judge also referred to tennis shoes/sneakers as "gym shoes."
I haven't heard that term used in decades. Back in the day in St.
Louis, black kids from the West End used "tennis shoes," whereas those
from Downtown (not to be confused with downtown = main shopping
district), the other black enclave, used "gym shoes."

The distinction between the two sub-dialects was shibboleth-like. Even
in cases wherein there were no lexical distinctions, it was trivial to
tell which of the two 'hoods a person was from as soon as he began to
speak. Well, that's pretty much the definition of "dialect," I guess.
:-)

-Wilson Gray