[Ads-l] crook and cranny

[Barretts Mail]

A non-native speaker of English just reviewed copy I wrote and corrected my “crook and cranny” to “nook and cranny.” 

I think I’ve always understood “crook” to be some sort of small corner or something. The expression is not in the Eggcorn Database, but is somewhat common. 

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080922185112AApaZSe <https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080922185112AApaZSe>
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/17/messages/189.html <http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/17/messages/189.html>

https://books.google.ca/books?id=oaHIBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT14&lpg=PT14&dq=%22crook+and+cranny%22&source=bl&ots=hi7Ma7iIlq&sig=9Q8_9F175UX4dD8PzcjRCGYJv_Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwio8rDuo4XVAhVGWRQKHaiiDXEQ6AEISTAI#v=onepage&q=%22crook%20and%20cranny%22&f=false <https://books.google.ca/books?id=oaHIBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT14&lpg=PT14&dq=%22crook+and+cranny%22&source=bl&ots=hi7Ma7iIlq&sig=9Q8_9F175UX4dD8PzcjRCGYJv_Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwio8rDuo4XVAhVGWRQKHaiiDXEQ6AEISTAI#v=onepage&q="crook and cranny"&f=false>

https://books.google.ca/books?id=dSFfD0dpdS4C&pg=PA595&lpg=PA595&dq=%22crook+and+cranny%22&source=bl&ots=F7aJtFwKkh&sig=garx2cVSn8egKosajPcQx9v2IKU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwio8rDuo4XVAhVGWRQKHaiiDXEQ6AEITDAJ#v=onepage&q=%22crook%20and%20cranny%22&f=false <https://books.google.ca/books?id=dSFfD0dpdS4C&pg=PA595&lpg=PA595&dq=%22crook+and+cranny%22&source=bl&ots=F7aJtFwKkh&sig=garx2cVSn8egKosajPcQx9v2IKU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwio8rDuo4XVAhVGWRQKHaiiDXEQ6AEITDAJ#v=onepage&q="crook and cranny"&f=false>

Wiktionary has “crook and nanny” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crook_and_nanny <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crook_and_nanny>) as a Spoonerism, but I don’t think that influenced me.

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org