Eggcorn lesson

Arnold M. Zwicky zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU
Fri Oct 3 15:12:08 UTC 2008


On Oct 3, 2008, at 7:28 AM, LanDi Liu wrote:

> If a shock to the system can be lessened by training, then this sounds
> like an eggcorn.
>
> What's very odd is that that electronic warning sound is so horrific,
> that even knowing it's coming and bracing yourself for it does very
> little to lesson the shock to your system.
> http://www.metafilter.com/75349/When-the-Wind-Blows#2284253

it's in brians: www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/lessen.html

some other webhits (less than 50) for "lesson the shock".

it's not  at all clear this is an eggcorn, rather than just a
misspelling.  i think i'd need to hear someone defending "lesson" on
semantic grounds.

arnold

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