Definitions

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  • noun Plural form of malapropism.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Dudu, the orphan with the briefcase and a line in malapropisms, was the first character to take shape.

    Africa United reveals the other side of a continent Tracy McVeigh 2010

  • The DVD features Al Franken and others commenting on nucular-strength malapropisms from the presidentiary such as:

    Boing Boing: September 19, 2004 - September 25, 2004 Archives 2004

  • J.mes J. Kilpatrick Woodville, Virginia While I'm not sure that all Mr. White's examples are precisely what I think of as "malapropisms" -- some are simply scrambled metaphors, while others sound rather bullish (in the Irish sense) -- I submit two further examples of inventive speech, both from the same high school student of mine in Dexter, Maine: "That really hits the nail on the spot" and "No, not by a long short."

    VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol III No 2 1976

  • The character famous for his malapropisms is the creation of actor Don Harron, who has satirized Canadian events and culture as the opinionated old codger from rural Ontario.

    CBC | Top Stories News 2011

  • The worst of these mistakes are called malapropisms, after a character in 18th-century English theatre, Mrs. Malaprop, who says reprehend for comprehend and allegory for alligator and derangement for arrangement.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed 2009

  • The most boring comment is always the one that corrects MYs inevitable misspelling and malapropisms.

    Matthew Yglesias » Ben Nelson Reminisces About When People Cares What He Thinks 2010

  • Re “The most boring comment is always the one that corrects MYs inevitable misspelling and malapropisms.”

    Matthew Yglesias » Ben Nelson Reminisces About When People Cares What He Thinks 2010

  • His modern malapropisms helped American theatre burst out of the drawing rooms that had dominated the stage for much of the previous decade; in particular, Odets's plays were among the first in which the recognisable rhythms of Jewish speech found their way into American theatre.

    Rocket to the Moon revived 2011

  • In all seriousness, I will miss Palin, her malapropisms, the fact that she thought Herman Cain's name was Herb, the way she stared at the camera as if it were made of jelly-beans, the way she delivered a mundane line as if she were reciting Ovid, and the way she made me feel substantially smarter than I actually am.

    Ziad Isa Khan: Sarah Palin's Revenge Ziad Isa Khan 2011

  • In all seriousness, I will miss Palin, her malapropisms, the fact that she thought Herman Cain's name was Herb, the way she stared at the camera as if it were made of jelly-beans, the way she delivered a mundane line as if she were reciting Ovid, and the way she made me feel substantially smarter than I actually am.

    Ziad Isa Khan: Sarah Palin's Revenge Ziad Isa Khan 2011

Comments

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  • A malapropism is a word that's been substituted for another word, usually because the speaker believes they are using the correct word. Invariably funny. Misheard lyrics are a common way malapropisms occur (i.e., revved up like a deuce vs. wrapped up like a douche).

    August 27, 2009