Facebook: "The _mother-load_ of recordings!" [NT]

[W Brewer]

WB lexicon check for <lode> vs. <load>
3:00 p.m. (1) My unspoiled <load/lode> semantic field (pre-dictionary
check): (a) <motherlode> is correct (a mine full of gold, with all the
warmth of motherhood, with an exotic Germanic-sounding root <<*lode>>
sounding like something wonderful & romantic); a fuzzy connection with
<lodestone> (a precious gem?) and <lodestar> (WTF does that mean? A famous
diamond?). (b) <motherload> is just plain iggorant spelling, smells like
the biggest load of crap I'd ever seen).
3:20 p.m. (2) Post-dictionary check (for the 1st time in my life, maybe) of
<motherlode> vis-a-vis <motherload> using my authoritative pre-1970
reference materials: (a) no notice of <motherload>. (b) Better put a space
in there, JL: <mother lode> (WB doesn't like the space either). (c)
<lodestone> aka <loadstone> is a magnet? (magnetite), <lodestar> aka
<loadstar> is a guiding star? Like a magnetic compass, I guess. Yes, I
know, the etymology is 'road' or something. (d) And (WTF?) <lode> ~ <load>
are mere spelling variants; <lode-> obviously having a semantic
specialization, but recently in process of being compromised for <mother->,
just as it has for been for <-stone> & <-star>.


On Sat, May 11, 2013 at 5:19 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Facebook: "The _mother-load_ of recordings!" [NT]
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yeah, how many humans could guess that "motherload" isn't the actual
> spelling?
>
> On the other hand, many of those who spell it right must think that {lode}
> is how you spell {load}.
>
> JL
>
>
> On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 3:28 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu
> >wrot=
> e:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> > Subject:      Re: Facebook: "The _mother-load_ of recordings!" [NT]
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
> >
> > Of course it's also possible as a null hypothesis that this is a simple
> > misspelling, i.e. that there are speakers who have "load" 'load' and
> "loa=
> d"
> > 'lode' stored as homonyms, and for whom no reanalysis/eggcornification as
> > such has taken place.
> >
> > LH
> >
> > On May 10, 2013, at 5:31 AM, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> >
> > > Wilson Gray wrote
> > >> Subject:      Facebook: "The _mother-load_ of recordings!" [NT]
> > >>
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
> > >>
> > >> x
> > >> --
> > >> -Wilson
> > >
> > > Arnold has this in the The Eggcorn Database - v. 0.5
> > >
> > > http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/english/531/motherload/
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > mother lode =BB motherload
> > > Classification: English
> > > Spotted in the wild:
> > >
> > >    =93I registered for a few things. (After talking to R=85 it seems
> li=
> ke
> > > we will indeed recover the motherload of all baby objects from her
> > > garage, leaving us not needing much stuff.)=94 (E-mail to Elizabeth
> > > Daingerfield Zwicky from a friend, October 2004)
> > >    =93The motherload of cb info,=85=94 (link)
> > >    =93I found the Moso motherload! =85 I=92ma happy man.=94 (link)
> > >
> > > Analyzed or reported by:
> > >
> > >    Anna, on this site (link)
> > >    Arnold Zwicky (The Fall Eggcorn Crop, on Language Log)
> > >
> > > =93Load=94 is a great deal more familiar than =93lode=94, and the
> mothe=
> r lode
> > > contains loads of (=92lots of=92) stuff, so the reinterpretation is
> > > understandable.
> > >
> > > There are also some cites with =93motherload=94 reinterpreted as =91a
> m=
> other
> > > of a load, a huge load=92: =93Protect your computer from a motherload
> o=
> f
> > > viruses, spyware Web site, company offer free ways to protect PC=85=94
> > > (link)
> > >
> > > {End excerpt]
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
> --=20
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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