eggcorn

[Baker, John]

Are uses like this really eggcorns?  Our hero was supposed to be "touting the party line," meaning that he was supposed to promote some standard talking point.  That makes perfect sense, even though it isn't the more usual "toeing the party line."   As I understand it, an eggcorn is (1) an erroneous word or phrase (2) that sounds similar to another word or phrase, (3) based on the speaker's re-analysis of the original.  "Touting the party line" is a variant of "toeing the party line" and involves re-analysis, but there is no error; the speaker (or writer) said exactly what was intended.


John Baker



-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Victor Steinbok
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 5:21 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: eggcorn

This an odd one, as I can't quite explain it.

http://goo.gl/40xgIS
> He was hauled into the principal's office and received a
> tongue-lashing for not touting the party line the way the face of the
> franchise should.

Sounds like a blend of "tooting his own horn" and "toeing the party
line" gone even more awry. I've seen "towing the party line". But, for
me, this is a first. I suppose, it sounds like "tout"=="support" or,
more accurately, "promote".

     VS-)

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org