malapropism

plural malapropisms · alternative rare Malapropism · alternative obsolete malapropoism

1. uncountableThe blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one.

   The script employed malapropism to great effect.

2. countableAn instance of such use.

   The humor comes from all the malapropisms.

   1 more example

   The translator matched every malapropism in the original with one from his own language.

   Synonyms: malaprop

plural Malapropisms

1. rareRare form of malapropism.

   M. Jules Lemaître has reproached Shakespeare for his love of Malapropisms. Those of Dogberry and many of his other low comedy parts are highly diverting buffoonery.

   1890 April, Andrew Lang, “The Comedies of Shakespeare. […] II. The Merchant of Venice.”, in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, volume LXXX, number CCCCLXXIX, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →ISSN, page 664, column 1

   2 more examples

   That old wound to his pride and self-esteem was not yet closed. He had come thinking he could talk of it, even wanting to talk of his fettered condition, and—behold! he was shrinking away from this reminder by Aunt Juley, renowned for her Malapropisms.

   1920, John Galsworthy, “At Timothy’s”, in In Chancery (The Forsyte Saga; 2), London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, part I, page 12

   But nobody will ever know the private history of a char. They keep nearly all their secrets to themselves. For this reason I am sure that, whatever novelists and dramatists pretend, they are not natural chatterboxes. Not all have black eyes or drunken husbands who occasionally arrive for a private quarrel or, in times of hardship for the hero, become comic brokers’ men. Their Malapropisms are few. They are frequently sturdy, silent, careful, and as dignified as wealthy aunts, who, by the way, are also with as little reason made ridiculous in some books and plays.

   1949, Frank Swinnerton, “Charladies”, in Tokefield Papers, Old and New, new and enlarged edition, London: Hamish Hamilton, →OCLC, part III, page 165