A malapropism occurs when:
- The word or phrase means something different from the word the speaker or writer intended to use; and
- The word or phrase sounds similar to what was intended (for example, using obtuse instead of acute is not a malapropism; using obtuse when one means abstruse is); and
- The resulting utterance is nonsense.
Now, I'm not claiming immunity -- we all come out with them on occasion, particularly in these days of auto-correct and spell-check, when proof-reading is ignored unless the computer alerts us that something is amiss.
But words have subtleties and nuances that a computer simply cannot comprehend.
Which means that we really should take that time to re-read and scan. Otherwise, we may find ourselves saying things that really are not at all what we mean. And while I can certainly live with misspelling or misspeaking a word, I greatly prefer that my nonsensical utterances be intentional, not the result of slips of the finger.
Like all nonsense, malapropisms come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes.
-Some still work, in a strangely warped way…
"it's a mute point"
-Some have the ability to irritate the pants off of me…
"I had to reign her in"
Can we talk "reign" vs. "rein", please?
"reign" refers to having authority or rule;
"rein" alludes to the straps used to guide horses
It's a subtle distinction, particularly in the D/s community, I realize.
But still, you may reign over me, you may rein me in, but if you hope for me to take you seriously, please be certain which it is you're attempting to do.
(Sorry. I know I'm being A Persnickety Bitch again, but this one reduces me to shrieking in exasperation, so I simply could not let it go without mention…)
-And finally, there are those that just plain give one pause…
"she's laid bear for me"
(May we all find that kind of devotion, my friends.)
Malapropisms.
Yet More Proof That Words Matter...
5 comments:
" -And finally, there are those that just plain give one pause…
"she's laid bear for me"
(May we all find that kind of devotion, my friends.)"
LMAO! Totally awesome.
May I just add, that "Stocked" and "Stalked" are not as interchangeable as some might think, and the basic rules of "their", "there", and "they're" should be incorporated into law...?
Phew, I feel better now.
You should have a public service page of malapropisms. A new word for me, btw. I am so using it in a sentence today...
today my son correctly used "they're" in a sentence....I nearly fainted from the joy of it.
:)
nilla
l-
The page would be fun but I'm afraid I'd give myself an ulcer. ;-p
(and have you picked up on how my aversion to All Things Horse seems to be expanding?)
"malapropism" IS a fun word.
The thing I think is coolest about it is that it came from the character, not the other way around.
n-
oh, lord.
Make my day and tell me he wrote it in cursive???
no, I know. Too much to hope for these days...
Where to start?
I love this post. Except that I' min French class full time these days and can pinpoint some (but certainly not all) of the French malapropisms I make. Is it a word in French? I just went to check. Google Translate tells me it translates as "impropriété de langage". Which offers some possibilities for fun right there"
And I had to look up "abstruse" just to make sure I did know what it meant before being condescending about anything. Because what if... ?
And are we back to reining you in with the reference to All Things Horse?
-sin
s-
I too am a big believer in looking up when uncertain.
Plus, my mom raised me to love dictionaries just for the fun of them.
(Which would explain why I own a Merriam-Webster's, a 1937 New Webster's, an American Heritage, an OED, and a reprinted Samuel Johnson's Dictionary -- one is simply not enough!)
And yes. Since lil and I have bonded over past horse failures, it seemed only fair to point out that the aversion is spreading even to the very tack…
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