Gathering Eggcorns

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 7:19 PM, Mark Mandel <thnidu at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Merl Reagle's Sunday crossword puzzle this week is titled "Gathering
> Eggcorns". He explains,
>
>    "Eggcorns" are things people say and write that are technically
> incorrect but which have a logic of their own, such as "wheelbarrel."
>
> PDF at http://www.sundaycrosswords.com/ccpuz/GatheringEggcorns.pdf
> Java version at http://www.sundaycrosswords.com/ccpuz/MPuz.php
>
> My wife (the dedicated crucigrammatist in the family) and I don't think that
> some of these are exactly eggcorns (e.g., 50 Across), but what the hey. Have
> fun!

50A counts as a partial eggcorn, and is indeed in the ECDB (entered by
Arnold in April 2005). 83A is also a partial, and surprisingly not yet
in the database (though it's shown up in the forum). A few more really
ought to be in the database. Fine work by Mr. Reagle.

--Ben Zimmer

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