Eggcorn: jar-dropping, jar-dropper

Mark Peters markpeters33 at YAHOO.COM
Tue Sep 11 16:38:48 UTC 2007


That is a classic eggcorn... It's one of the most logical I can remember.

  Mark

Erik Hoover <grinchy at GRINCHY.COM> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Erik Hoover
Subject: Eggcorn: jar-dropping, jar-dropper
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Jar-dropping for jaw-dropping, jar-dropper, etc.

I came across this scarce eggcorn while reading a comment on the blog
Polite Dissent. The blog humorously nitpicks the medical errors in
popular culture.

The comment refers to the television program House:

"Cameron’s decision that for now she just wants to have sex with the
guy she “did” before when she was on drugs was just a jar-dropper.
And it was perfectly deliviered. In short: “Wanna f**k?”"

Google results indicate that this usage is not a widespread.

Another example taken at random:

"Hey I second that emotion! The intro is energetic, the composed section
is solid, and the jam goes from good to great to sick to a jar-dropping
<>!!! "

[rec.music.phish Feb 17 1998]


Some people are possibly spelling jaw as jar, perhaps because that is
how they pronounce it, as examples of "my jar dropped" exist as
well. Even a few exx of "my jar hit the floor" as well.

"Shirley...next time you see a snake, go to the gun safe, get the gun
that has the biggest hole at the end of the barrel (that's your
shotgun). Load that sucker, go out and kill that snake. Then pick
DH's bottom jar off the floor. Works for me."

[Poster identifies self as Oklahoman; http://
www.hometalkentertainment.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-6681.html]



Erik

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