OED definition of eggcorn is wrong

[Neal Whitman]

For that matter, I have never found "eggcorn" to be satisfactorily
distinguished from "folk etymology". Is a folk etymology an eggcorn that has
become standard?

Neal

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Peters" <markpeters33 at YAHOO.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 11:34 AM
Subject: OED definition of eggcorn is wrong


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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Mark Peters <markpeters33 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      OED definition of eggcorn is wrong
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>
> The key element of an eggcorn is that it's a *logical* mistake--it has to
> make
> sense. That's what distinguishes it from a malapropism or mondegreen. When
> my
> mom calls carpal tunnel syndrome "carnal tunnel-vision syndrome," that's
> no
> eggcorn, because it makes no sense (it is awesome, though).
>
> But the OED's definition (new this week) leaves this out: "An alteration
> of a
> word or phrase through the mishearing or  reinterpretation of one or more
> of its
> elements as a similar-sounding  word."
>
> Arggh! That's a gigantic omission, isn't it? Or did I just put too much
> crack on
> my corn flakes this morning? Maybe " reinterpretation" is supposed to
> cover the
> logic part, but I don't know...
>
>
> Ben, Arnold, others, what do you think?
>
> On the bright side, it's lovely to see this 1844 use of "eggcorn" actually
> meaning an acorn: "I hope you are as harty as you ust to be and that you
> have
> plenty of egg  corn [acorn] bread which I cann not get her[e] and I hope
> to help
> you  eat some of it soon."
>
> Mark
>
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