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What's the word for when a misspoken phrase takes over?
The word you're looking for
An eggcorn is a mishearing or misspoken phrase that becomes established and spreads, replacing the original with something phonetically similar. The term itself is a perfect example: it comes from someone mishearing 'acorn' as 'eggcorn,' and this wrong version stuck around and took over in people's speech.
Other words that fit
Use this when the mishearing specifically involves song lyrics or poetry that people consistently misheard as something else.
Use this when someone blends metaphors or uses wrong words to create unintentional humor, not necessarily a phrase that spreads widely.
Use this for the transposition of sounds at the beginning of adjacent words, like 'blushing crow' for 'crushing blow,' though it's usually accidental rather than established.
Why this word
An eggcorn is a real linguistic phenomenon where a misheard or misspoken phrase becomes established and spreads within a community, effectively replacing the original. What makes eggcorns interesting is that the wrong version often has logic or plausibility to it—'for all intensive purposes' seems like it could mean something, and 'escape goat' follows English word-formation patterns. The term is self-exemplifying: it comes from a person mishearing 'acorn' as 'eggcorn,' and that mishearing caught on and spread. Unlike a one-time slip or a malapropism used for humor, an eggcorn 'takes over' because people repeat it without realizing it's wrong. Eggcorns are distinct from mondegreens, which specifically refer to mishearings of song lyrics or poetry.
In context
- 'For all intensive purposes' is an eggcorn of 'for all intents and purposes.'
- 'Escape goat' is a famous eggcorn that comes from mishearing 'scapegoat.'
- Once an eggcorn spreads, people keep using it even though it's technically wrong.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between an eggcorn and a malapropism?
- A malapropism is using a wrong word that sounds similar, often for comic effect. An eggcorn is when this substitution becomes established and spreads widely in a community, becoming the way many people say or understand the phrase.
- Is 'mondegreen' the same as 'eggcorn'?
- Not exactly. Mondegreen specifically refers to mishearing song lyrics or poetry. Eggcorn is broader—it applies to any misspoken phrase that spreads and becomes established, whether lyrics, idioms, or everyday phrases.
- Can an eggcorn ever become the correct version?
- Language evolves through use. If an eggcorn spreads widely enough and persists long enough, some linguists might consider it a valid variant. However, officially, eggcorns are still marked as non-standard or incorrect.
- What are some famous eggcorns?
- Common examples include 'for all intensive purposes' (intents and purposes), 'escape goat' (scapegoat), 'nip it in the butt' (nip it in the bud), and 'doggy-dog world' (dog-eat-dog world).