strum up support

Benjamin Barrett gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM
Sat Feb 16 20:52:39 UTC 2008


I was curious what the preferred version might be, so I found the entry
at http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/english/928/strum-up/, where it says
that "drum up" is considered correct.

I don't think that's enough to make me stop using "strum up," though. Is
there a specific reason why strum up support is dispreferred? It's still
using a musical instrument and it sounds better since it employs
alliteration..

BB

Andrea Morrow wrote:
> >From a CNN article today on Chelsea Clinton's role in the presidential campaign:
>
> Chelsea Clinton will spend three days there to strum up last-minute
> votes before the state's Tuesday caucuses, said a source from her
> mother's campaign.
>
> http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/15/chelsea.clinton/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
>
> A quick google search for "strum up support" turns up over a million
> hits, but most are obvious plays on words (a rock musician strums up
> support for his show, etc.)
>
> I see this usage is already in the eggcorn database, but it's the
> first time I've seen it, and it seemed worth mentioning.
>

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