Synopsis
Malapropism - A word or phrase that has been mistaken for another, usually because of its sound rather than its meaning.
Everyone has made the mistake of using a word or phrase that they think sounds correct, but in fact is not. Malapropisms make some sense. They have a semantic logic to them, even if that logic makes perfect nonsense. In...
Details
04 August 2015
9781250066275Reviews
"The particular pleasure that one gets when one discovers a malapropism in the wild comes in part from ferreting out the logic that underlies it. These entries from Robert Alden Rubin’s new book Going to Hell in a Hen Basket: An Illustrated Dictionary of Modern Malapropisms attempt to do just that, where it can be deduced and to offer speculation where it can’t." —Grammar Girl
"Going to Hell in a Hen Basket...offers readers a pain staking but hilarious journey amidst the strings and arrows of language misfortune.... Not only does Rubin bare witness to these word-garblers who seemingly grew up speaking pigeon English, but he sets the goal standard, by honing in on the etymology of these linguistic egg corns, whether it be a case of pesky sound-alikes or deep-seeded hearing difficulties.... The result is the perfect gift book for word nerds...chalk full of philological humor.... Trust me, you'll double over into a feeble position at some of these not-so-bon-mots." —Brevity magazine
