lillibet: (Default)
lillibet ([personal profile] lillibet) wrote2010-07-28 11:07 pm
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The Eggcorn Challenge

As many of you know, I love eggcorns, those wacky re-shapings of familiar words or phrases, often undetectable by spell-checkers. A post tonight on Language Log includes a beautiful (albeit deliberate) one: feint-hearted. For me, the best thing about eggcorns is finding a way in which they actually make sense. Give it a try! Look up three eggcorns in The Eggcorn Database and tell us what the resulting phrase might really mean.

a posable thumb - what every recruiter of hand models looks for, a thumb able to be beautifully positioned and held by its possessor

veil of tears - the blurred vision of a tearful eye

feint-hearted - indicating repeatedly that one is ready for a relationship and then pulling away when presented with a genuine opportunity

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