Yankee eggcorn

[Mark Mandel]

"Cease" presumably being a verb that many people are unfamiliar with.

On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 8:24 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>wrote:

> At 1:44 PM -0700 9/22/08, N2life4 wrote:
> >The correct phrase should be "never fails to amaze me" if
> >one is trying to
> >pay a compliment. ??  Did Jeter intend to compliment? He
> >indicates the fans
> >are not amazing!
> >
> >Jerri
>
> He clearly meant the fans never cease (or, if you prefer, fail) to
> amaze him, as is clear from both the general and local context of his
> remarks.  But if it is an on-line blend or eggcorn, I'm sure the
> source is "never cease" rather than "never fail", for phonological
> reasons.
>
> LH
>

--
Mark Mandel

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