Okay folks. Question time!
What's your favourite malapropism?
Today I learned that "spitting image" is a malapropism! But we're not sure if it comes from "spit and image" (from "he's the very spit of..." someone else), or - and I think this makes more sense - *spirit and image*, deformed over time. But so many forms have been used, no one knows for sure!
Other fun ones:
On tender hooks ("tenterhooks")
A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but you mean your mother.
What's your favourite?
@MLClark "Tenterhook" was the word of the day. At first I thought, "Isn't it tenderhook?" but then I realized who wrote it so it must be right.
Baseball is filled with malaprops, courtesy of Yogi Berra. A common malaprop by inexperienced broadcasters is to say that a pitcher is "throwing up" instead of "warming up" in the bullpen.
RBI stands for Runs Batted In. A lot of people say, RBIs, which is already plural. I always said RBI.
Yogi Berra's contributions are always a delight, but OH, the adorably awkward nature of acronyms in common use. :)
It's always fun to remember your PIN number when you go to the ATM machine. The name for that problem is SO perfect, too. Did you know it's called RAS Syndrome - literally, redundant acronym syndrome syndrome?
*chef's kiss*
@MLClark Automobiles have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). When i was in law enforcement, officers always referred to the "VIN Number" when it's just VIN.
Oooh! I love that detail for authenticity in period pieces. I've read through NASA's publication style guide in the past, but some of those technical quirks - especially for audio - just slip through the cracks.
@MLClark I have a 1962 recording of KSC Director Kurt Debus, von Braun's man from Peenemunde days, saying "NASA" every which way. A couple times he says "the NAY-suh." Sometimes he says "N-A-S-A." Just kinda all over. But I use those recordings to show people how it's evolved over the years.