Q&complAints #440 : “M” Word

What is your favorite uncommon word beginning with “M”?

Post your answer in the LEAVE A COMMENT section below. I’m not the boss of you, though. Don’t write anything for all I care! But if you do, I give you permission to eat a handful of M&M’s as a reward.
questions answers signage

. . .here are my thoughts.

What is your favorite uncommon word beginning with “M”?

mondegreen: (N) a misheard phrase, in a way that gives it a new meaning. 

Mondegreen was inspired in the 1950s by the misinterpretation of a Scottish ballad.  “Lady Mondegreen” was heard rather than “Laid him on the green.”  To this day, the majority of mondegreens develop from song lyrics.  A classic example is mishearing Creedence Clearwater Revival sing “There’s a bathroom on the right,” rather than “There’s a bad moon on the rise.”  Understandable misinterpretation, since far more of us have inquired about the nearest restroom, compared to ever hearing about the concept of a bad moon.  The Star-Spangled Banner is a rather slow song with lyrics that shouldn’t be misheard.  Shouldn’t be, but certainly can be.  “O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light” can be heard as “by the donzerly light.”  Trust me on this!  I was in my 30s before I got that one straightened out.  In my defense, donzerly absolutely sounds like it should be a word (it’s only in the Urban Dictionary).  And our national anthem shouldn’t possess blatant redundancy.  The light at dawn, by definition, appears early in the day.  Get better, Francis! 


Check out ALL previous Q&complAints posts here!

Leave a Comment