Eggcorns

Some of the incorrectitudes I correctituded in Strunk & Light are actually "eggcorns": homonyms or close-to-homonyms of the real expression which are substituted for the real expression because they kinda make sense.

Frex: "tow the line" is incorrect, but calls up an image of dragging a heavy weight using a line or rope, which sorta relates to the meaning of the expression, which is to obey the rules. The real expression, of course, is "toe the line", i.e. line up your toes to the line on the floor, i.e. stand where they tell you to, just like everyone else.

Here's a database of 'em.

Via the NaNoWriMo forums (or fora ;)), which I found because somebody linked to Strunk & Light from there.

Comments

[dkp]

so . . . what's the difference between an eggcorn and a mondegreen? i mean, i know what an eggcorn is. examples of famous mondegreens (for those who don't know) are jimi hendrix singing "excuse me, while i kiss this guy," or michael stipe singing "weenie skin and river ran."

IOW, is the only distinction that when you put music to an eggcorn, you've suddenly got a mondegreen?