Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A series of words that result from the mishearing or misinterpretation of a statement or song lyric. For example, I led the pigeons to the flag for I pledge allegiance to the flag.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A form of
error arising from mishearing aspoken orsung phrase - noun rare A
misunderstanding of a written or spoken phrase as a result ofmultiple definitions.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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I'm so glad to have the term mondegreen now; it will surely vie with "earworm" for usefulness.
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It involves a quirky novel written by MANDY GREEN (yep, a mondegreen of "mondegreen") whose story centers on a mondegreen ( "Gesundheit Whistle" misheard as GAZOON HIGH TWIZZLE).
Mondegreens lili 2009
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It's a 'mondegreen', from The Bonnie Earl O' Murray:
Waxing Lyrical juliette 2009
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It's called "mondegreen," and it means "the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase, typically a standardized phrase, such as a line in a poem or a lyric in a song."
Shawn Amos: "Excuse Me While I Kiss This Guy" & Other Misheard Lyrics 2009
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One thing led to another, and now I’m the administrator of a flaky effort called Mandy Green Project, largely aimed at helping make "mondegreen" a household word.
Mondegreens lili 2009
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They'll particularly like the page "What is a mondegreen?", with a killer video full of 'em.
Mondegreens lili 2009
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I'm a native of Vermont, and this is my favorite mondegreen (from the Beach Boys '"Kokomo"):
Mondegreens lili 2009
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Not a mondegreen, but it's also advisable not to forget yr mum's in the car with you and start singing along to Rocks by Primal Scream.
Mondegreens lili 2009
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It's either that or Tony Danza is a common mondegreen.
Mondegreens lili 2009
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It's the '76 Manfred Mann's Earth Band cover that's responsible for the signature mondegreen on this one.
Shawn Amos: "Excuse Me While I Kiss This Guy" & Other Misheard Lyrics 2009
seanahan commented on the word mondegreen
Ye Highlands, and ye Lawlands
Oh where have you been?
They have slain the Earl of Murray,
And they layd him on the green.
December 12, 2006
chained_bear commented on the word mondegreen
Wow. Is that the origin of this word? Never knew that...
"'Scuse me while I kiss this guy."
--Jimi Hendrix (not)
By the way, interesting article on how the human brain can distinguish time intervals between phonemes with a 90% accuracy rate is in Newsweek this week (Feb. 12, 2007, p.14, or http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16961082/site/newsweek/), from whence I ripped off this example. :)
February 7, 2007
abraxaszugzwang commented on the word mondegreen
can we start a misheard lyrics page?
"There's a bathroom on the right."
February 7, 2007
cathari commented on the word mondegreen
I used to hear "Lucy and this guy with diamonds" (I assumed they were getting married.)
November 1, 2007
tellurian commented on the word mondegreen
I can never quite get the image of Vienna Teng carring an axe convincingly out of my head....
November 1, 2007
sionnach commented on the word mondegreen
Gladly, the cross-eyed bear, thinks this word is awesome.
November 1, 2007
frindley commented on the word mondegreen
More mondegreens here.
April 27, 2008
reesetee commented on the word mondegreen
Also here and here.
October 22, 2008
yarb commented on the word mondegreen
And yet more here.
October 22, 2008
reesetee commented on the word mondegreen
Thanks, yarb--knew there was at least one other one somewhere.
October 22, 2008
myth commented on the word mondegreen
Cue the Groucho Marx jokes:
Groucho: "That's in every contract, that's what you call a sanity clause."
Chico: "You can't a fool a me there ain't no Santy Claus"
Minister: "We need to take up the tax"
Groucho: "I'd like to take up the carpet."
Minister: "I still insist we take up the tax."
Groucho: "He's right - you've gotta take up the tacks before you can take up the carpet."
"Do you rumba?"
"Why, yes!"
"Well, pick a rumba between one and ten."
- Not sure if it counts if you misunderstand yourself. :)
Chico: "Who are you?"
Groucho: "Im fine, thanks. Who are you?"
Ice Water? Get some Onions - that'll make your eyes water!
May 17, 2009
ravendesk commented on the word mondegreen
Won miniature aunt opt then extra sue she.
(One minute you're on top, the next you're sushi.)
September 20, 2011
yarb commented on the word mondegreen
I think there's a name for sentence-length mondegreens like that - a French word maybe?
The big challenge is to find two such sentences which both make sense individually.
September 20, 2011
Wordplayer commented on the word mondegreen
There is actually an entire game based on mondegreens...it's called Mad Gab.
September 20, 2011
harmonygritz commented on the word mondegreen
Never mind the "shoping" sic distraction-- more mondegreens at Jon Carroll's column archives.
October 18, 2011