🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan13.042544.15891@bmerh85.bnr.ca> nadeau@bnr.ca (Rheal Nadeau) writes:
>
>Malapropism - "a usually humorous misapplication of a word; specif:  the
>use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously
>wrong in the context" - Merriam-Webster New Collegiate Dictionary.
>
>       The Rhealist - nadeau@bnr.ca - Speaking only for myself

Which calls to mind "solecism", which is similar, but is based more
on the idea of a corruption of a word, versus "malapropism's"
inappropriateness.

Solecism comes from the ancient city of "Soli", near Tarsus, and far from
Greek, so the Greek settlers there spoke a rather provencial form of the
language that the Athenians et al considered hilarious.

(I wish I could think of a good example of one versus the other.  Maybe
someone else can.)

Now, I seem to almost recall that there is yet ANOTHER term for mixed-up
speech.  Maybe I am just thinking of "spoonerism", or maybe I am recalling
some logical (rather than verbal) confusions, such as "a tautology" or
whatever.  Any suggestions on what I am forgetting?

BTW, is there a name for Dan Quayle's "A mind is a terrible thing to
loose"?  It seems to almost be a malapropism, but I am not sure.  (As for
Dan's assertion that there are canals on Mars, and water and, air, and
it's in the same orbit as earth and we could live there, well I think
that's called "dumb".)

Dave Daulton, Columbus, Ohio