[Ads-l] Antedating of "Malapropism"

[Ben Zimmer]

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZMUEXvxlax4C&pg=PA82
"It is a melancholy thing for the readers of newspapers, that the writers
of them will insist on showing their acquirements on all occasions. In an
account of a little piece at the Adelphi, called _Success_, (a quiz on the
press,) the New Times represents 'The Observer and Thespian Sentinel, as
trying a close bout of manual _espionage_.' 'A close bout of manual
_espionage_!' What in the name of refinement does the accomplished critic
mean? Lady Morgan, in her happiest moments of French, never surpassed this
malapropism."

Hard to figure out what "espionage" was malapropistically replacing.

--Ben


On Thu, Sep 10, 2020 at 9:37 PM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
wrote:

> Yes, that would be nice.  And even more impressive would be an antedate
> from before 1775!
>
> > On Sep 10, 2020, at 9:35 PM, Mark Mandel <markamandel at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> > Come on, please give us the relevant quote!
> >
> > MAM
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 8, 2020, 3:44 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> wrote:
> >
> >> malapropism (OED 1830)
> >>
> >> 1826 _London Magazine_ Jan. 82 (ProQuest)  Lady Morgan, in her happiest
> >> moments of French, never surpassed this malapropism.
> >>
> >>
>

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