Vol. 10 · Eggcorns330 swaps · Page 3 of 7

They sound right. They aren't.

Page 3 of 7 — more reanalysed phrases with their documented first appearances.

Flush out the details

Flesh out the details

First documented 1990s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Flesh out" means add substance (as to bones); "flush out" means drive from hiding. Both are real idioms, so speakers blend them in the wrong context.
For all in tents and purposes

For all intents and purposes

First documented 2000s · disputed

Why the swap holds Another reanalysis of the same phrase — "in tents" (camping) has even less to do with the meaning, but is heard occasionally in spelling.
For all intense and purposes

For all intents and purposes

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds A third variant of the classic eggcorn — "intents" becomes "intense," adjective-as-noun. Evokes emphatic seriousness, but scrambles the phrase.
For all intensive porpoises

For all intents and purposes

First documented 2000s · disputed

Why the swap holds The classic "intensive purposes" eggcorn doubles with "purposes" → "porpoises" — aquatic mammals with strong intentions. A comic double mis-hear.
For all intensive purposes

For all intents and purposes

First documented 1950s · classic

Why the swap holds "Intents and" compresses in speech to sound like "intensive." The wrong form even sounds more emphatic — "intensive" reads as stronger than "intents."
See the full entry →
For the most part

For the most part

First documented 2010s · disputed

Why the swap holds Correct. Flagged because "for the most parts" (plural) occurs as an ear-smoothing — the singular "part" means the greater portion, not discrete pieces.
Free reign

Free rein

First documented 1980s · widespread

Why the swap holds A rider gives a horse "free rein" (loose reins). But "reign" — as in a monarch ruling freely — fits the metaphor so well that the eggcorn spread fast.
Get down to brass tax

Get down to brass tacks

First documented 1990s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Brass tacks" likely refers to upholstery tacks used to mark measurements, or to fundamentals. "Tax" (money matter) also feels like getting to real numbers.
Give up the goat

Give up the ghost

First documented 1970s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Ghost" in the old sense meant spirit or breath, so to give up the ghost was to die. The goat version sounds nearly identical and imagines surrender to a stubborn animal.
Grain of assault

Grain of salt

First documented 2000s · disputed

Why the swap holds Mishearing "salt" as "assault." The classical image (a grain of salt as antidote) loses out to an aggressive reparsing that sounds harsher but makes no sense.
Grizzly death

Grisly death

First documented 1990s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Grisly" (gruesome) is a narrow, old word. "Grizzly" (the bear, or flecked with grey) is familiar. A "grizzly death" sounds bear-maulingly violent — and the two words have been blurred for so long some dictionaries list the crossover.
Hair-brained

Harebrained

First documented 1500s · disputed

Why the swap holds Hares behave erratically in March — the original image. "Hair-brained" imagines hair instead of substance in someone's head. Attested in print since the 1500s, never fully corrected.
Heard immunity

Herd immunity

First documented 2020s · disputed

Why the swap holds Epidemiology term "herd immunity" (group-level resistance). "Heard" reparses it as an auditory homonym — word-of-mouth immunity? A 2020s speech-to-text slip.
Heart-rendering

Heart-rending

First documented 1990s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Rend" (tear apart, archaic) survives mainly in this compound. "Render" (extract fat, or "render unto Caesar") is more familiar and suggests melting emotions.
Heart-wrenching

Heart-rending

First documented 1990s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Rend" (to tear) gives "heart-rending." "Wrench" gives "heart-wrenching" — same sensation (a twisting pain), different Germanic verb.
Heighth

Height

First documented 1950s · widespread

Why the swap holds By analogy with "width," "length," and "depth," "height" ought to end in -th. It actually dropped the -th in the 13th century. The eggcorn restores the pattern by ear.
Hold your piece

Hold your peace

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Peace" and "piece" are homophones; "speak your peace" exists alongside "speak your piece." In the wedding phrase ("forever hold your peace"), the eggcorn parses as holding onto a share or portion — still in reach, if you squint.
Home in on

Hone in on

First documented 1970s · disputed

Why the swap holds Complicated: "home in" (like a homing pigeon) is historically original. "Hone in" (from "hone," sharpen) became the dominant form and is now considered correct by many.
Hone in

Home in

First documented 1960s · disputed

Why the swap holds "Home in" (like a homing pigeon) is the original — but "hone" (to sharpen) suggests focus. Most US dictionaries now accept both.
Horse doovers

Hors d'oeuvres

First documented 1990s · classic

Why the swap holds French "hors d'oeuvres" (outside the work, i.e. appetisers). "Horse doovers" reparses it as two English nouns — plausible pronunciation, zero French.
Hunger pains

Hunger pangs

First documented 1980s · disputed

Why the swap holds "Pang" is rare outside this phrase. "Pains" is a natural plural. Both forms now appear in major dictionaries — a shift accepted within living memory.
Hunky-dorey

Hunky-dory

First documented 2000s · disputed

Why the swap holds "Hunky-dory" (19th-century American slang, origin disputed). "Hunky-dorey" reparses the ending as if it were a name (Dorey), pulling toward a more human feel.
Hurdle over

Hurdle over

First documented 2010s · disputed

Why the swap holds Correct. Flagged for the common confusion with "hurtle" (move swiftly) — "hurtle the obstacle" and "hurdle the obstacle" are near-homophones, different motions.
I could care less

I couldn't care less

First documented 1960s · disputed

Why the swap holds The original is a logical minimum — no less care is possible. The affirmative version became sarcastic and then just meant the same thing, disconnected from logic.
Ice tea

Iced tea

First documented 1990s · disputed

Why the swap holds Dropping the -d from "iced" happens in fast speech ("iced-tea" → "ice-tea"). The eggcorn parses as a compound noun — ice + tea — which almost makes sense.
In lame man's terms

In layman's terms

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Layman" (non-expert) is a formal word. Speakers hear "lame man" and imagine dumbed-down explanations for someone slow. Semantically rough but widely attested.
In loo of

In lieu of

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Lieu" is French for "place" — "in lieu of" = "in place of." The eggcorn substitutes a mental "loo" (toilet) — a small mental joke for everyone who notices.
In one fowl swoop

In one fell swoop

First documented 1970s · classic

Why the swap holds "Fell" here is the old sense meaning "cruel" or "fierce" (same root as "felon"). "Fowl" reparses the image as a bird of prey swooping down — consistent picture, wrong word.
In tack

Intact

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds Splitting "intact" into "in tack" parses as "tacked in place." The original single-word form is Latin — tangere (touch) — meaning untouched.
In tact

Intact

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds INTACT is one word — Latin "untouched." Splitting it imagines "having tact," which is wrong but not quite illogical.
In the mist

In the midst

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Midst" (middle) is archaic outside this phrase. "Mist" is common and atmospheric — being "in the mist of things" even sounds poetic, though it loses the spatial meaning.
In the mist of

In the midst of

First documented 1990s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Midst" (middle) reparsed as "mist" (fog). The reparse imagines being in a fog of activity — atmospheric, but "midst" means centred-in, not obscured.
In the throngs of

In the throes of

First documented 1990s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Throes" (violent pangs) is rare; "throngs" (crowds) is familiar. "In the throngs of passion" still feels romantic, even though it literally means surrounded by a crowd.
In vein

In vain

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Vain" (useless) and "vein" (blood vessel, or a streak of something) are homophones. "In vein" also reads as "in the same vein" (in the same style) — close enough to confuse.
Intends and purposes

Intents and purposes

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds Verb/noun mis-parse. "Intents" (noun, what is intended) becomes "intends" (verb) — which scans as a garbled present-tense phrase.
Internally grateful

Eternally grateful

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Eternally" (forever) and "internally" (inside) sound nearly identical. The wrong version suggests gratitude felt inside — also true — but not the intended force.
Irregardless

Regardless

First documented 1900s · disputed

Why the swap holds Double negative — "ir-" + "-less" both mean "without." Merriam-Webster added it (as nonstandard) in 1934 after widespread use. Still disputed everywhere.
It doesn't phase me

It doesn't faze me

First documented 1990s · classic

Why the swap holds FAZE = to disturb or unnerve (Old English fesian = to drive away). PHASE = a stage. The eggcorn substitutes the more common word.
Jerry-rigged

Jury-rigged

First documented 1950s · disputed

Why the swap holds "Jury-rig" (nautical, from "jory" = temporary) is the original; "jerry-built" (shoddy) bled in. Now many dictionaries list both as acceptable.
Jive with

Jibe with

First documented 1960s · disputed

Why the swap holds "Jibe" (to agree, from sailing) is rare. "Jive" (to talk smoothly, from jazz) is familiar. Most US dictionaries now accept both.
Jive with the facts

Jibe with the facts

First documented 1990s · disputed

Why the swap holds JIBE = to agree (originally a sailing term). JIVE = jazz dance, slang for nonsense. The two are conflated so often that some dictionaries now accept JIVE in this sense.
Just desserts

Just deserts

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Deserts" (what one deserves) is archaic — same root as "deserve." "Desserts" (sweet courses) is everyday and occasionally hints at a satisfying final course of justice.
Ketchup to me

Catch up to me

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Catch up" compresses in speech to one syllable that listeners map onto "ketchup" — the familiar condiment. The eggcorn is often used jokingly, but has become a straight written error.
Kit and kaboodle

Kit and caboodle

First documented 2000s · disputed

Why the swap holds Spelling variation. "Caboodle" (bundle, lot) is the original; "kaboodle" looks more parallel with "kit" — a spelling-driven reparse.
Knit-picking

Nitpicking

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Nit" (louse egg) is gross; picking at pulled threads in knitwear is relatable and almost as pedantic. The wrong version preserves the meaning beautifully.
Lack-toast intolerant

Lactose intolerant

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds A genuinely mishead medical term — "lactose" parsed as two food words. Widely attested as a mondegreen-style eggcorn, especially from children.
Last-stitch effort

Last-ditch effort

First documented 2000s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Last ditch" (the final defensive trench). "Last stitch" reparses it as a final bit of sewing — patching up a problem at the last moment.
Liberry

Library

First documented 1950s · widespread

Why the swap holds The "r-r" sequence in "library" is hard to articulate; the second "r" drops, leaving "liberry." The reanalysis re-parses the word as "li-berry," a small fruit-like place.
Low and behold

Lo and behold

First documented 1990s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Lo" (an archaic "look!") is rare outside this phrase and nativity plays. "Low" is everyday — and the wrong spelling is dominant online.
Make due

Make do

First documented 1970s · widespread

Why the swap holds "Make do" (manage with what you have) is opaque; "due" (owed, required) sounds identical and parses as "satisfy what is due" — a plausible but different idea.

More lines people get wrong.

Eggcorns are one kind of slip — misquotes and mondegreens are two more.

Misquoted lines → Misheard lyrics →