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Malapropisms...

VeryBerryCherry

By VeryBerryCherry
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the-e-dealer

the-e-dealer

Posted
Posted

and pre order pre book etc etc


david_carnell Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not to highjack your thread VBC but tautologies

> always bug me:

>

> ATM machine

> PIN number

> new innovation

>

> and my personal poke my own eyes out favourite:

>

> free gift

>

> ....oh and the contradiction that is prefixing

> "unique" with stuff like "very" or "slightly" -

> it's either bloody unique or it's not!!

>

> So anyway....oh yeah I mentioned on another thread

> "to all intensive purposes"

>

> Great thread btw VBC! Welcome to forum addiction

> 101.

Earl Aelfheah

Earl Aelfheah

Posted
Posted
I recently had a crisis of confidence when I bought a set of 'alum keys'. I had always called them 'alan keys'. Turns out both are actually correct and that relaying this tedious story was pointless. Just reminded of it by the Duct / Duck tape thing above. I'll get my coat....
El Pibe

El Pibe

Posted
Posted

the-e-dealer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Grasp the Nettle V grasp the metal!


So you keep mentioning.


But grasp the nettle is the correct phrase, based on the idea that if you touch a nettle it'll sting you, but if you grasp it tightly it won't. in other words, if you're going to do something potentially unpleasant its better to go for it than do it half heartedly.


'Grasp the mettle' is the usual misunderstanding, but doesn't really make any sense.


I've no idea what 'grasp the metal' is trying to say, any particular type of metal?

Grasping plutonium, gold and mercury would all be rather different things figuratively speaking.


So bravo on a double layered malapropism!!

Loz

Loz

Posted
Posted

Mettle/Nettle - ironically, from the origin of 'grasp the nettle'...


Aaron Hill's Works, circa 1750, contains the first example that I can find that advises that a nettle be grasped: "Tender-handed stroke a nettle, And it stings you, for your pains: Grasp it like a man of mettle, And it soft as silk remains."
El Pibe

El Pibe

Posted
Posted

so it's rhyming slang then ;)


I've never had enough mettle to test it either rahrahrah. THere are about 29 million of them in my garden should i feel the urge though.


Maybe the guy that came up with the theory tried it out on a false nettle and was satisfied http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/false_nettle.htm


nope apparently that one doesnt live in the uk, probably this then http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urtica_dioica_subsp._galeopsifolia

  • 3 months later...
Townleygreen

Townleygreen

Posted
Posted

rahrahrah noted "I recently had a crisis of confidence when I bought a set of 'alum keys'. I had always called them 'alan keys'. Turns out both are actually correct and that relaying this tedious story was pointless. Just reminded of it by the Duct / Duck tape thing above. I'll get my coat...."


The term is spelled "Allen keys". They are also called hex keys.

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