Funny Malaprops and Mispronounced Words

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In summary, Tsu likes to make fun of me if I do something like this. Mooners found a rhyme for Inty, Minty, Tibity Fee, A Deelyer, A Dollyer, A Nominee, Hytch, Pytcha, Dominytcha, Hans, Pans, Dust, and Out Comes Y.O.U. Hans, Pans, Dust, and Out Comes Y.O.U. are all words Mooners discovered that have a different pronunciation than the ones they were originally thought to be.
  • #1
Ivan Seeking
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Do you have any favorite malaprops or mispronounced words?

Some guy just called into a radio show and asked about sound waves that cancellate.

Another favorite of mine is the common midwestern usage of the word de-thaw - you take the meat out of the freezer to de-thaw it. We discovered that with the large German population in this part of the US, this is probably a remnant of be-thaw, which would make sense to a German American.

Tsu likes to make fun of me if I do something like this. She still hasn't figured out that I enjoy self defecating humor.
 
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  • #2
My grandfather used to use the word discombobulated all the time, except he pronounced it discombooberated. Since I never heard the word spoken by anyone but him, 1) I didn't know it was a real word (he was fond of making up words when it suited him) and 2) it's the only pronunciation of it I knew for a long time. I was quite fond of the word when younger.

Then again, my grandfather was from Maine, so I picked up lots of strange word pronunciations from him.

Oh, we had a whole rhyme that was nonsense words...instead of eeny meeny miney mo, our rhyme (that I still love using with kids if the ocassion warrants it) was:
Inty, minty, tibity fee
A deelyer, a dollyer, a nominee
Hytcha, pytcha, dominytcha
Hans, pans, dust
Out comes Y. O. U.

I suspect some of those words might have originated from actual known English words, like the second line might have been something like "A dealer, a dollar, a nominee" but that's now how we said it, and not like it would have made any more sense.
 
  • #3
Ivan Seeking said:
Do you have any favorite malaprops or mispronounced words?

Some guy just called into a radio show and asked about sound waves that cancellate.

Another favorite of mine is the common midwestern usage of the word de-thaw - you take the meat out of the freezer to de-thaw it. We discovered that with the large German population in this part of the US, this is probably a remnant of be-thaw, which would make sense to a German American.

Tsu likes to make fun of me if I do something like this. She still hasn't figured out that I enjoy self defecating humor.


Wait, what's wrong with de-thaw?
 
  • #4
go to bed franz

p.s. I have more posts than you nah-nah-nah-nah-nah
 
  • #5
Moonbear said:
Oh, we had a whole rhyme that was nonsense words...instead of eeny meeny miney mo, our rhyme (that I still love using with kids if the ocassion warrants it) was:
Inty, minty, tibity fee
A deelyer, a dollyer, a nominee
Hytcha, pytcha, dominytcha
Hans, pans, dust
Out comes Y. O. U.

I suspect some of those words might have originated from actual known English words, like the second line might have been something like "A dealer, a dollar, a nominee" but that's now how we said it, and not like it would have made any more sense.

Yeah, nice one Mooners. I don't know what that 'rhyme' means either, but I read it aloud and I've sprouted a tail and cloven hooves. :frown: Which part of Blair did you say you come from? :biggrin:
 
  • #6
Smurf said:
go to bed franz

p.s. I have more posts than you nah-nah-nah-nah-nah


Wow congratulations.

Oh, and just for reference, I've been running on a 36 hour day for the past 144 hours.
 
  • #7
There were two that I must have read for years before ever hearing them pronounced: mishapen and disheveled

My internal pronunciation for the first was 'miss happen', the derivation was that it was something which had suffered a mishap.

As for the second, I somehow failed to notice the spelling and pronounced it dis-shelved, i.e. it was like being a disturbed shelf (if this makes no sense to you, I suggest watching some Tom & Jerry cartoons; anyway, who ever heard of a shevel?).

And while it hardly counts as a misusage (given that there appear to be several countries full of people who use it), I'm bemused by "disorientated".
 
  • #8
Irregarless is a favorite of my family. One of my sisters and I started going one further (turning it to eleven) and started using irretardless.
 
  • #9
Why is it that all the TAs that I get always mispronounce the word 'subtract'? They all say 'substract!'! WHY?? :rofl:
 
  • #10
check said:
Why is it that all the TAs that I get always mispronounce the word 'subtract'? They all say 'substract!'! WHY?? :rofl:

:bugeye: That's a new one for me. Not a "favorite" malapropism, but my mom is notorious for adding extra letters to words when she says them. Drives me batty. Spelling books would start bursting into flame if she ever had a conversation with Bush.
 
  • #11
the number 42 said:
Yeah, nice one Mooners. I don't know what that 'rhyme' means either, but I read it aloud and I've sprouted a tail and cloven hooves. :frown: Which part of Blair did you say you come from? :biggrin:

:biggrin: Ooh, so it does work! :rofl:

It was just so fun to say. It could be the reason I had such an easy time memorizing the Jabberwocky poem when we were assigned that in school; I was already used to memorizing nonsense words.
 
  • #12
franznietzsche said:
Wait, what's wrong with de-thaw?
Um, if you dethaw it, it'll still be frozen! :rofl:
 
  • #13
I often hear "precipitation" pronounced "percipitation".
 
  • #14
Along the same lines...a personal pet peeve of mine:

"You have three choices..."

No. You have ONE choice and THREE options.
 
  • #15
Heard this from a Playboy playmate: "Yeah, I'd like to conversate with a guy first then see what happens."
 
  • #16
The_Professional said:
Heard this from a Playboy playmate: "Yeah, I'd like to conversate with a guy first then see what happens."

Oh, that reminds me of one of the flakes I ran into yesterday talking about an organization that provides accreditation, she said we were "accreditated" by them. :rofl:
 
  • #17
The State of Oklahoma has some interesting city/town names that, when put together properly (or improperly, for that matter), tell a little story;

Sallisaw Henrietta Wagoner Catoosa.

:redface: :tongue:
 
  • #18
I don't know about "favorite," but I can't believe this thread is already on its second page without someone mentioning 'nucular.'
 
  • #19
"Agendarize" or "agenderize" - in the context used, I understand it to mean "to put something in an agenda" or "collect matters for discussion and place them in an agenda".

I heard the word used by a state legislator during a discussion about legislative matters. Oh, well.

We need a new program - 'leave no adult behind.'

I think state and federal politicians should take a mandatory scholastic achievement test in order to qualify for placement on a ballot. IMO, most politicians would not pass basic high school proficiency exams.

We've come along way (downward) since Jefferson, Madison, Ben Franklin et al.
 
  • #20
Astronuc said:
We need a new program - 'leave no adult behind.'

:rofl: But Bush can't promote that sort of program, or everyone will think he's simply being self-serving. :rofl: On the other hand, we've all had those sort of days when the right word just won't come to mind, and I do sympathize that in the case of some public officials, it's just unfortunate that there are cameras and reporters around to record and publicize the rare slip. As for others, well, sadly it isn't that rare.
 
  • #21
That's certainly true. In fact, do we have any Pardon My Blooper fans [now that's going back a ways]. They had tons of this stuff.

In a similar light, I can still remember one of my all time favorites as kid; from the series and nearly verbatim...

Radio Announcer at a professional baseball game:
We've been watching this young couple below us here. They appear to be newlyweds cheering for opposite teams...we've noticed that he kisses her on the strikes, and she kisses him on the balls.
 
  • #22
Thats some lovely annoucing there. You just reminded me of a great bit of news reporting I heard the other day:

"The East Yorkshire rat poulation is exploding."

Kaboom. EEEW!
 

1. What are malaprops and mispronounced words?

Malaprops and mispronounced words are both forms of linguistic errors that occur when a person unintentionally uses the wrong word or pronounces a word incorrectly. Malaprops are often humorous mistakes that result in a word with a completely different meaning, while mispronounced words are simply pronounced incorrectly.

2. What causes malaprops and mispronounced words?

There are several reasons why people make malaprops and mispronounced words. These can include confusion between similar sounding words, misinterpretation of a word's meaning, or simply not being familiar with the correct pronunciation of a word.

3. Are malaprops and mispronounced words common?

Yes, malaprops and mispronounced words are very common. Everyone has likely experienced making these types of mistakes at some point in their life, and they can happen in any language. They are also a common source of humor in everyday conversation.

4. Can malaprops and mispronounced words be harmful?

In most cases, malaprops and mispronounced words are harmless and are simply seen as funny linguistic errors. However, in some situations, they can be offensive or cause confusion. It's important to be mindful of the context and audience when using language, especially in formal settings.

5. How can I avoid making malaprops and mispronounced words?

The best way to avoid making malaprops and mispronounced words is to practice good language skills. This includes expanding your vocabulary, learning the correct pronunciation of words, and being mindful of the words you use in different contexts. It's also helpful to ask for clarification if you are unsure of the meaning or pronunciation of a word.

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