Funny word stuff

I love malapropisms: similar-sounding but incorrect words, which sometimes have a humorous effect.

Here are a couple of recent ones:

  • Viking Worrier Statue (Viking Warrior Statue) for sale on eBay 
  • Emotion Paint (Emulsion Paint) for sale on Marketplace 

Have you seen any funny word stuff? If so, do share!

Parents
  • This is wonderful. Calf squeeze contractors sounds like what my physiotherapist has got me doing. I definitely want some Be interesting candles!

  • I really like Language Log for it's bizarre mix of weird word stuff; there everything from stuff like that through to really deep academic analysis of all sort of bizarre aspects of language - even a few topics now and then that are quite pertinent to autistic language differences. It's also a good source of language related cartoons (checking the daily SMBC cartoon is always the first thing I do when I open my web-browser.)

    One of my favourites on Language Log is their fascination with computer translation "poetry". For example, if you ask Google Translate to translate the following from Frisian...

    З зззззз зззззз ззззззззззззз зззззззз ззззззззз

    з зз ззз зззз ззззз зззззз ззззззз
    зззззззз ззззззззз зззззззззз
    ззззззззззз зззззззззззз

    З ззззз зззззз зззззззззззз
    ззззззззззз зззззз ззз ззз
    ззззззззззззззззззз ззз з зззз
    ззззззззззззззззззззз

    Зззз ззззз зззззз ззззззззз ззззз ззззззззз

    ...into English...

    From the Conjugation of the Expression of the Impression

    From the abyss of the abyss, the abnormality of the abyss
    the degree of jerkiness of the jungle
    it is a time of gravitational excitement

    From the beginning of the abyss
    The skewness of the abnormalities of the abyss
    the rupture of the abyss begins
    due to a shortened time

    The Causes of the Causes of the Causes of the Causes

    The "blog roll" button on the right hand pane at Language Log will also give you a list of dozens of different linguistic sites, and some of them are absolutely hilarious. A couple of favourites are; Harmless Drudgery, written by a woman who works compiling dictionary entries and has the most incredible sense of humour; and Strong Language, dedicated entirely to swearing. I haven't explored the half of them yet, but there'd be plenty of goodies for this thread!

Reply
  • I really like Language Log for it's bizarre mix of weird word stuff; there everything from stuff like that through to really deep academic analysis of all sort of bizarre aspects of language - even a few topics now and then that are quite pertinent to autistic language differences. It's also a good source of language related cartoons (checking the daily SMBC cartoon is always the first thing I do when I open my web-browser.)

    One of my favourites on Language Log is their fascination with computer translation "poetry". For example, if you ask Google Translate to translate the following from Frisian...

    З зззззз зззззз ззззззззззззз зззззззз ззззззззз

    з зз ззз зззз ззззз зззззз ззззззз
    зззззззз ззззззззз зззззззззз
    ззззззззззз зззззззззззз

    З ззззз зззззз зззззззззззз
    ззззззззззз зззззз ззз ззз
    ззззззззззззззззззз ззз з зззз
    ззззззззззззззззззззз

    Зззз ззззз зззззз ззззззззз ззззз ззззззззз

    ...into English...

    From the Conjugation of the Expression of the Impression

    From the abyss of the abyss, the abnormality of the abyss
    the degree of jerkiness of the jungle
    it is a time of gravitational excitement

    From the beginning of the abyss
    The skewness of the abnormalities of the abyss
    the rupture of the abyss begins
    due to a shortened time

    The Causes of the Causes of the Causes of the Causes

    The "blog roll" button on the right hand pane at Language Log will also give you a list of dozens of different linguistic sites, and some of them are absolutely hilarious. A couple of favourites are; Harmless Drudgery, written by a woman who works compiling dictionary entries and has the most incredible sense of humour; and Strong Language, dedicated entirely to swearing. I haven't explored the half of them yet, but there'd be plenty of goodies for this thread!

Children
  • Books under the bed-covers for me. I've never actually asked my Mum whether she knew I was awake until the early hours every night as a child (she has the same late-onset insomnia as me, so may well have done.)  It's how I learned to be so quiet and picked up my talent for mapping squeaky floorboards. Even during the day, my landlady, who lives in the room below, says she can't tell whether I'm in or not unless I have one of my stupid clumsy accidents, and I'm forever startling people by creeping up on them unawares without meaning to.

    I wonder whether, without the internet, I'd even have built the confidence to disclose my diagnosis to anyone in my circle of friends. It was only when I did that I discovered that I already had two autistic friends. Now I know that I have two very old friends that are autistic, and dozens of new people I can talk to on-line every day (or night!) I can't begin to imagine how isolated and lonely I might have felt had I been diagnosed and not had the internet. I nearly went crazy early on last year when I lost my home internet connection for a few months - joining in on the forums just isn't something I would do at a public WiFi hotspot, I have to be in my sanctuary.

  • When I was a child there was no internet so if I couldn't sleep I'd listen to Radio 4 until it closed down, then the BBC World Service. I have fond memories of hearing the Shipping Forecast.

    The internet is a brilliant distraction on sleepless nights these days, and just generally really! Not sure how I would have got through the last few weeks without it. Like many people here I benefit from being part of a wider community. 

  • It's one of the few advantages of being a chronic insomniac, I find!

    Enjoy!

  • So much brilliant language-related stuff here... I may never get anything else done ever again!