No, they're not edible, unless you like eating words.
"Mondegreen" is newly included in Merriam-Webster's latest edition of its dictionary. Although it is frequently mentioned on the internet, now you may use it in "Scrabble".
mondegreen
Main Entry:
mon·de·green
Pronunciation:
\ˈmän-də-ˌgrēn\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
from the mishearing in a Scottish ballad of “laid him on the green” as “Lady Mondegreen”
Date:
1954
: a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung <“very close veins” is a mondegreen for “varicose veins”>
Other words among the 100 new words included are "edamame" (immature green soybeans) and "pescatarian" (a vegetarian who eats fish).
Here's a short list of 20 of the added words:
# 1. agnolotti
# 2. Bollywood
# 3. chaebol
# 4. crunk
# 5. DVR
# 6. flex-cuff
# 7. ginormous
# 8. gray literature
# 9. hardscape
# 10. IED
# 11. microgreen
# 12. nocebo
# 13. perfect storm
# 14. RPG
# 15. smackdown
# 16. snowboardcross
# 17. speed dating
# 18. sudoku
# 19. telenovela
# 20. viewshed
The present wars have given us a few new words to do with weaponry. I know the meanings of some of the words in the list, others I don't. I have an appointment that I must rush off to, so I leave it to you to look up the definitions of those that interest you.
My favorite Mondegreen is that old favorite hit from the '60s "Bob Durant."
ReplyDeleteThe opening line often heard as " Bob, Bob,Bob, Bob Bob Durant."
Of course the real name is "Barbara Ann."
If a mondegreen is based on a mishearing, I'm not sure most of your list would fit the definition.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I can add a few of my own.
- The Jimmy Henrix line "excuse me while I kiss this guy" (actually "excuse me while I kiss the sky" IIRC)
- "There's a bathroom on the right" (from "there's a bad moon on the rise")
- "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear" (you can figure that one out for yourself)
- I once read of a woman who moved to NYC and fell in love with the phrase "it cost a nominal egg," realizig only years later that it was merely "it cost an arm and a leg" with a NYC accent
- There is a comedy sketch (probably available on YouTube) where a group of men playing poker get into an argument about what comes after "blinded by the light." The only one I recall is "held up like a loofa by the four men on the right." Eventually, a man who has remained silent throughout, throws down his cards and sings the correct lyric: "revved up like a deuce,
another runner in the night." The others all watch him storm out the door - and then laugh about how ridiculous his (correct) version was.
If a mondegreen is based on a mishearing, I'm not sure most of your list would fit the definition.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm, what list?
I'm trying to think of mondegreens that I know, and I'm coming up blank, except for two having to do with children saying the "Hail Mary". "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst swimmin' and blessed is the fruit of thy wound, Jesus."
I love the "a nominal egg", and I do get yours that you didn't give an answer to.
Jon Carroll, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and resident of Oakland used to post at least one article a year full of mondegreens. I so enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteI always heard the song "blinded by the light" with the incomprehensible "wrapped up like a douche" - finally learning years later that it was "revved up like a deuce" (not that much more transparent).
Nice to see "mondegreen" added to the list of acceptable neologisms.
Paul, LOL. That's a good one.
ReplyDeleteSilly moi. I thought the list of words following were supposed to be mondegreens when they were really other words which, like mondegreen, have come into the language.
ReplyDelete