Do you know what a "mondegreen" is?

[eks6426]

The word Mondegreen was used as a web headline for my local newspaper. I had no idea what it was until I read the article. Guess, I learned a new word today.

Just curious how many of you actually know the word.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 12/13/2007 9:27:51 AM
Author:IslandDreams
The word Mondegreen was used as a web headline for my local newspaper. I had no idea what it was until I read the article. Guess, I learned a new word today.


Just curious how many of you actually know the word.

Well...I still don''t know although I, like you, speak some French and can translate that it means "green world" in franglais. Please edify us by explaining!

Deb

 

[CrownJewel]

I had no idea. But now I do! Thanks IslandDreams. Here''s my own example of a mondegreen. There used to be a song by Train, called "Cab." I sang along, "Sometimes I think I''m the only cavalier rose." I had seen the opera, Der Rosenkavalier so I didn''t think the Train lyrics were all that outrageous.

Turns out, I had misheard the lyrics and the song took on a different meaning for me. The actual lyrics are "Sometimes I think I''m the only cab on the road."

 

[Selkie]

I''d heard the term before but forgot what it meant and looked it up in Wikipedia. The one that always comes to mind for me is: "''Scuse me while I kiss this guy" (should be "...Kiss the sky") in the Jimi Hendrix song. Or the "Mairzy Doats" song.

Now I''m curious-in what context was it used in that news headline?

 

[eks6426]

Yep, you guys got it right. I had no idea there was a word to describe this.

It was used as a headline on a blog.

 

[AGBF]

No one defined the word, so I went looking for a definition. Most dictionaries did not consider "mondegreen" a word, including the OED on-line (which has a section for new words). I did, eventually find these definitions, however.

mon·de·green /ˈmɒndɪˌgrin/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mon-di-green] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard.
[Origin: 1954; coined by Sylvia Wright, U.S. writer, from the line laid him on the green, interpreted as Lady Mondegreen, in a Scottish ballad]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

and​

mon·de·green (mŏn'də-grēn', môn'-) Pronunciation Key
n. A series of words that result from the mishearing or misinterpretation of a statement or song lyric. For example, I led the pigeons to the flag for I pledge allegiance to the flag.

[After (Lady) Mondegreen, a misinterpretation of the line (hae laid) him on the green, from the song "The Bonny Earl of Murray".]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Deborah

 

[iwannaprettyone]

cool world...I used to do this on an Alanis Morrisette song, until an AH Hah moment at a Karaoke Bar.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 12/13/2007 10:05:32 AM
Author: AGBF

Date: 12/13/2007 9:27:51 AM
Author:IslandDreams
The word Mondegreen was used as a web headline for my local newspaper. I had no idea what it was until I read the article. Guess, I learned a new word today.


Just curious how many of you actually know the word.

Well...I still don''t know although I, like you, speak some French and can translate that it means ''green world'' in franglais. Please edify us by explaining!

Deb

Something to do with "world" from the french word was my first thought as well, then I thought it would have to be "mondeverte" so I quickly realized i had no idea whatsoever what a "mondegreen" was, ha ha!

Thanks for teaching us a new word, ID! Now I have the Mairzy Doats song stuck in my head. Which is not an entirely bad thing.