[royr]

Malapropisms - the humorous misuse of English words.

Pronunciation: \ˈma-lə-ˌprä-ˌpi-zəm\
Function: noun
Etymology: Mrs. Malaprop, character noted for her misuse of words in R. B. Sheridan's comedy The Rivals (1775)
Date: 1849
1: the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase ; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context2: MALAPROP
— mal•a•prop•ist \-ˌprä-pist\ noun

examples:
1. “I can’t phantom why he would do that” (fathom) [TV detective]
2. “It ran the whole gambit from A to Z” (gamut) [TV detective]
3. “…these are only escape goat for the wrong that people do.”
(a scapegoat) [YouTube commenter]
4. Wanted – wheel barrel (wheel barrow) [Craigslist]
5. I try to get genetic drugs when I can” (generic) [Acquaintance]

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