Kempting secrets

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 10/6/06, David Bowie <db.list at pmpkn.net> wrote:
>
>  From yesterday's washingtonpost.com politics chat, available about
> 2/3rds down the page at
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/09/28/DI2006092800961.html?nav=topnav,
> a possible eggcorn i don't see in the eggcorn database:
>
>    "Salinas, Calif.: Peter, one more point on Redlands' entry:
>     If your front page feature on Foley's aide going to House
>     Republican leaders three years ago in an effort to stop Rep.
>     Foley's behavior is correct, then this story must have been
>     the biggest unkempt secret in D.C. for years. It seems to me
>                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>     that many members on both sides of the aisle could have broke
>     this story long ago. Or better yet, take responsibility for
>     the "alleged" behavior from continuing. Accountability in the
>     nation's capitol seems to be in very short supply these days."
>
> If you read this as phonological confusion between unkept and unkempt,
> and the meaning of unkempt as involving messiness (and this is certainly
> a messy situation for a number of people!), it works.

Or could it be spellchecker-generated?

My speculation here:

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003647.html


--Ben Zimmer

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