Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

“President Obama has had a milktoast response to every issue he’s faced.” – from the blog, 5/19

The writer means a timid response, obviously, but he’s got the wrong word.

The word is milquetoast, from the character Casper Milquetoast, a timid character in H. T. Webber’s comic strip The Timid Soul (late 1930s).

Milk-toast is buttered toast served in hot milk with sugar. Nice metaphor, but clearly the writer doesn’t understand the term he’s grasping for.

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

After reflecting on the situation, he decided it was a blessing in the skies.

A blessing in the skies

He means a blessing in disguise, the idea that we can choose to see the glass half-full instead of seeing it half-empty, when something negative happens in our lives.

Have a great week!

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

Ha: “The knowledge of how to make Coca-Cola is parietal.”

Proprietal

Um, apart from the construction “of how,” which should result in the offending writer being made to sit in a corner with a cone on his head, we have the malapropism itself. Parietal‘s various meanings pertain to the concept of a wall; in medicine, the parietal lobe is the lobe that rests against the side (wall) near the top of the skull; in botany, the wall of a plant; in law, the division (wall metaphor) of sexes in a residence (for example, a dormitory).

The writer meant to say proprietal, which is not a word. Proprietary refers to the ownership of property: in this case, a secret trademarked recipe.

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

My partner loves the word perspicacity, which means “keenness of mental perception; penetration.”

So it isn’t truly a malapropism when he tries to say perspicacity and instead says purse capacity… it just sounds like one.

You could fit a lot in this one.

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

William Shakespeare’s Constable Dogberry from Much Ado About Nothing:

“Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons.” He means, “apprehended two suspicious persons” (Act 3, Scene V).

He did it on purpose.

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

Okay, this isn’t technically a malapropism, but it’s just as pedantic: adding an extra adjective ending to an adjective: ironical instead of ironic is the one that makes me want to kill.

If you can think of other ones to add, comment here. Should be fun!

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

“Oh, what a nice effluent area!”

She meant affluent, of course, meaning “wealthy” or “upscale.” Effluent means the flow of treated sewage from a septic tank or plant.

Thanks, Patrick and Jazzy!

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

Have you ever been in a meeting and witnessed an anonymous decision?

Hard to accomplish, unless everyone leaves before the decision is made.

A unanimous decision (all voters cast the same vote) is more common.

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

A classic.

Tutored

Malapropism Tuesday

A malapropism is the substitution of a word that sounds like the correct word, but renders the phrase meaningless and often creates a humorous, pedantic effect. Clearly the person using the phrase is trying to sound smart, and in the process, sounds like a doofus. Hopefully you won’t get caught using this one:

“What a terrible cat’s after me!”

Um, believe it or not, but (s)he means catastrophe.

Good stuff.