by Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2
“You can
lead a horse to manure, but you can’t make him drink.”
“We’ll
burn that bridge when we get to it.”
Ahhh, the
marvelous malaprop – Grammarist.com defines it as “a verbal mistake in which a word is
substituted with another word that sounds similar but means something entirely
different, often to comedic effect.”
President George W. Bush was so successful at the malaprop
that pundits renamed his verbal blunders “Bushisms.” Here are a few of his
best:
“We need
an energy bill that encourages consumption.”
“I am
mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself, but for my
predecessors as well.”
“The word malapropism is taken from a
character, Mrs. Malaprop, in a 1775 play called The
Rivals, written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan,” Grammarist says. “It is
assumed that Sheridan coined the character name from the French phrase, mal
à propos, which means inappropriately.”
President Bush wasn’t the only politician to master the art
of malaprop. Former Chicago mayor Richard Daley once announced, “The police are
not here to create disorder, they’re here to preserve disorder.”
And
Vice-president Quayle once commented, “Republicans understand the importance of
bondage between a mother and child.”
Malaprops
turn up in the most unexpected places. Like this one heard at a church business
meeting: “The Finance Chairman and the Head Deacon are diabolically opposed.”
Or this
one on a neighborhood crime blotter: “Mr. Washington, of 300 South Maple
Street, received a decease and desist order.”
Or this
gem, overheard during a conversation between two fifth graders about their
teacher: “He was watching me like I was a hawk.”
Some
malaprops come about because of ignorance and a poor vocabulary, but others are
born through brilliance and mastery of the English language. Unfortunately,
it’s sometimes hard to distinguish the two.
Other than
making us laugh, malapropos can prove quite useful in our writing. You might
have a character, like the original Mrs. Malaprop, who is characterized by
verbal blunders and missteps. Sprinkling well-turned malaprops into his or her
dialogue can generate laughter and endear your character to your readers.
Creating
your own malaprops can also be a fun and mentally-engaging warm up writing
exercise to get your creative juices going. Whether or not you use them in your
writing, bending your brain to the task can make your writing flow like water
off a duck’s behind.
And that’s
nothing to squeeze at.
TWEETABLES
Word play for writers—marvelous #malaprops - @LoriHatcher2 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Besides begin fun, #malaprops can prove quite useful in our #writing - @LoriHatcher2 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Thanks for this, Lori. I've been wondering how to make one of my characters more memorable (and funny). Perfect way. I'm reminded of a college professor who used to respond to our dumb questions with, "Now, THAT's a horse of different garage."
ReplyDeleteJay Wright; Anderson, SC
Hahaha, Jay, that’s a perfect example. I think a character prone to malapropism would be a great addition to your novel. Write on!
DeleteI resemble those remarks. Thank you for the smile, chuckle, and lesson Ms. Lori. God's blessings ma'am...
ReplyDeleteLori, the older I get, the more I find myself at risk of turning into Mrs. Malaprop. I often have to think, "Did I say that wrong?" This is embarrassing not only because I'm a writer, but I've also been teaching English for 24 years, so I'm not allowed to make such blunders. HA! I told a story to friends at church last week about my daughter coming home for Christmas after her first semester in college and expecting me to make lunch for her, do her laundry, etc. I said, "The 'gig' is up, sister. You've been feeding yourself and doing your own laundry at college. You can do it at home, too." After I said it, I thought...jig. The jig is up. My husband is getting worse with using the right words, too. I guess it goes with the memory loss...and the hearing loss. We have some pretty humorous moments! -- But to the important thing...your post. This is a great reminder to think about those quirky things we do and use them in our characters to make them more realistic. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOh, Karen, you're not alone! I was at a writers conference last weekend and the worship leader said she and her grandkids like to sing "Acapulco," i.e. without words. I smiled extra big and filed the malaprop away. knowing I'd be able to use it this weekend after this post. Thanks, LaTan Murphy!
DeleteMy sister said this high school: "I saw two deer mowing the neighbor's lawn." I had this image of their little hooves trying to grip the handle on the lawn mower.
ReplyDeleteBahaha, JPC, that's a great malaprop AND a great mental picture. THanks for sharing :)
DeleteAnd today I learned a new word for an old observation! Never heard of a 'Malaprop', although I have hee-hawed over these for years (not that I have personal experience...wink wink)!
ReplyDeleteI hear ya Charla ;) Thanks for laughing along.
ReplyDeleteShe is at the pineapple of success. Thanks for the blogpost. Fun.
ReplyDelete