Confusables Posted Wed, 16 Aug 2006

It's worth nothing that many people seem to have a hard time spelling, "it's worth noting."

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This phenomenon writ large (substituting one word for another in a stock phrase a way that makes sense if you squint) has been named "eggcorns".

There's a bunch at http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/

pustule » pus jewel
lip-sync(h) » lip-sing
diuretic » diarrhetic (close but no cigar)
flawless » floorless
Posted by Mary at Thu Aug 17 19:54:20 2006
Very funny. Thanks Mary!

This is a bit different because it seems like an honest mistake -- or perhaps a spell-checker assisted one. :)
Posted by mako at Thu Aug 17 22:41:33 2006
Well, yeah, typos aren't eggcorns. But some of the idiom related eggcorns are a bit closer to this: "much to do about nothing", "like a bowl in a china shop" (what are these people thinking???). I'm not discounting it being a true mis-hearing.

http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/category/english/idiom-related/
Posted by Mary at Thu Aug 17 22:55:18 2006

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