Ever heard of “mondegreens?” This is the term given to an incorrectly interpreted song lyric. he best example might be the people who think Jimi Hendrix is singing “Excuse me while I kiss this guy” in his song, “Purple Haze.”
The term “mondegreen” dates back to 1954 when someone misheard a phrase in a Scottish song as “Lady Mondegreen” instead of “laid him on the green.” Musical types have used the word since the 50s, but it’s only now–2008–that the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary has decided to include it.
There’s your assignment for the day: use the world “mondegreen” in a sentence. And add it to spell-checker of your word processor.
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