English usage - Malaprops
 

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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Do you have any malaprops you can share with us?

I didn't know the origin of the word "malaprop" but I've always been a fan of the "Master of Malaprop", Norm Crosby. Stealing one from Wikipedia, Crosby's version of "He had panache" came out as "He had pistachio." He's now in his 80's and he still a really funny guy.

Always liked malaprops, but I've a special place in my heart for spoonerisms.

Spoonerisms are words or phrases in which letters or syllables get swapped. This often happens accidentally in slips of the tongue (or tips of the slung as Spoonerisms are often affectionately called!):

Tease my ears (Ease my tears)
A lack of pies (A pack of lies)
It's roaring with pain (It's pouring with rain)
Wave the sails (Save the whales)
our queer old Dean - our dear old Queen