Eggcorns: 1 Explanation, 50+ Examples

Mishearing someone once can change how you say a certain phrase for years. That is, if you’re not already familiar with the phrase.

It happens to everyone. Yet you’ll be surprised just how many phrases are actually misrepresentations of their original catchphrase. So many common phrases today are actually miswritten phrases of yore, growing within our English lexicon like an eggcorn—or is it acorn?

To help you better understand the concept, this blog post aims to explain what are egghorns as well as provide over fifty examples of egghorns.

What are Eggcorns?

Eggcorns are words or phrases that sounds like other words or phrases with its own unique meaning and is therefore mistakenly applied into conversation or written communication.

Confusing? Let’s take the word eggcorn as our first example. Eggcorn is an eggcorn of acorn. If someone introduced the word acorn to you for the first time and you were unfamiliar with the oak nut (or if the speaker didn’t enunciate clearly), then you may instead hear egghorn. Believing acorn to be eggcorn, you would accidentally apply acorn as eggcorn in future conversation and communication.

50+ Examples of Egghorns

Still confused on the meaning of egghorn? Below I have listed over fifty examples of original phrases (saying) with their misrepresented turn of phrase (egghorn). 

May this list help you adjust how you speak and write in the future!

Saying: a damp squib

Egghorn: a damp squid


Saying: curb your appetite

Egghorn: curve your appetite


Saying: expatriate

Egghorn: ex-patriot


Saying: for all intents and purposes

Egghorn: for all intensive purposes


Saying: on the spur of the moment

Egghorn: on the spurt of the moment


Saying: on tenterhooks

Egghorn: on tenderhooks


Saying: in fetal position

Egghorn: in feeble position


Saying: card sharp

Egghorn: card shark


Saying: you’ve got another think coming

Egghorn: you’ve got another thing coming


Saying: jaw-dropping

Egghorn: jar-dropping


Saying: Alzheimer’s disease

Egghorn: old-timer’s disease


Saying: lactose intolerant

Egghorn: lack toast and tolerant


Saying: dog-eat-dog world

Egghorn: doggy-dog world


Saying: layman’s terms

Egghorn: lame man’s terms


Saying: day-to-day

Egghorn: day-today


Saying: all of a sudden

Egghorn: all over sudden


Saying: object lesson

Egghorn: abject lesson


Saying: all in all

Egghorn: all and all


Saying: beck and call

Egghorn: beckon call


Saying: biding my time

Egghorn: biting my time


Saying: champing at the bit

Egghorn: chomping at the bit


Saying: day and age

Egghorn: day in age


Saying: deep-seated

Egghorn: deep-seeded


Saying: jury-rigged

Egghorn: jerry-rigged


Saying: pass muster

Egghorn: pass mustard


Saying: one and the same

Egghorn: one in the same


Saying: take it for granted

Egghorn: take it for granite


Saying: toeing the line

Egghorn: towing the line


Saying: raze to the ground

Egghorn: raise to the ground


Saying: far be it from me

Egghorn: far be it for me


Saying: hair’s breadth

Egghorn: hare’s breath


Saying: must’ve

Egghorn: must of


Saying: neck and neck

Egghorn: neck in neck


Saying: row to hoe

Egghorn: road to hoe


Saying: bona fide

Egghorn: bonified


Saying: pique your interest

Egghorn: peak your interest


Saying: moot point

Egghorn: mute point


Saying: whet your appetite

Egghorn: wet your appetite


Saying: wind chill factor

Egghorn: windshield factor


Saying: coming down the pike

Egghorn: coming down the pipe


Saying: anecdotal evidence

Egghorn: antidotal evidence


Saying: vast majority

Egghorn: fast majority


Saying: fly in the ointment

Egghorn: flaw in the ointment


Saying: home in

Egghorn: hone in


Saying: eternally grateful

Egghorn: internally grateful


Saying: out-of-body experience

Egghorn: outer body experience


Saying: throes of passion

Egghorn: throws of passion


Saying: put the cart before the horse

Egghorn: put the cat before the horse


Saying: foregone conclusion

Egghorn: far-gone conclusion


Saying: zero-sum game

Egghorn: zero-sum gain


Saying: new lease on life

Egghorn: new leash on life

Did I miss one? What eggcorns have you come across in conversation or in communication? Share in the comments section below.

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