Language desk
< March 25	<< Feb \| March \| Apr >>	Current desk >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

March 26[edit]

Wordplay type?[edit]

Is there a term that describes the type of wordplay or pun where similar-sounding words are substituted, like "flutter-by" for butterfly or "dangle-lion" for dandelion? I was reading about Charles Rumney Samson who referred to German Uhlans as "ewe-lambs". Alansplodge (talk) 11:54, 26 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Malapropism. 41.23.55.195 (talk) 11:59, 26 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Eggcorn? Nardog (talk) 12:19, 26 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Flutter-by would be a single word variant of a spoonerism. --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 13:54, 26 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Eggcorn might be the closest, but most of the examples quoted in our article are unintentional mishearings, rather than being intended for humorous effect. Alansplodge (talk) 14:13, 26 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

For a related concept, see Mondegreen. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 51.241.39.117 (talk) 17:49, 26 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

'Flutter-by' for 'butterfly' is a Spoonerism - swapping the initial sounds of two words, or in this case, two parts of one word. -- Verbarson ^talk_edits 17:26, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed, but I was asking about substituting asonant words as a type of joke. Another example might be the Great War soldiers' versions of local names, such as "Eat apples" for Étaples or "White sheet" for Wytschaete. Alansplodge (talk) 18:40, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Or Wipers for Ypres. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 20:12, 27 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

These appear to be simply known as one of two kinds of puns: "... or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning, a play on words.". For example, see Puns, Palindromes, And More: 14 Types Of Wordplay "Puns that involve similar sounding words:" Modocc (talk) 01:23, 28 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, so there isn't a specific term. Many thanks all. Alansplodge (talk) 19:00, 28 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Like eggcorn and mondegreen were coined for a phenomenon in need of a term, one could be coined here too. Perhaps chicken pee soup, as I have heard chickpea soup referred to by someone who did not like an indeed somewhat watery and tasteless concoction. --Lambiam 23:41, 28 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Dandy lion is a less distasteful alternative for a name for this type of wordplay. --Lambiam 23:56, 28 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]