Malapropism

Malapropism is the misuse of words of similar sound or construction and mistakenly thought to be named after Mrs Malaprop in Sheridan’s 1775 play The Rivals, when in fact the character in the play was named after malapropos, an adjective or adverb which first appears in English from 1668, meaning inappropriate or inappropriately, from the French mal à propos. According to the OED, the word malapropism itself dates only from the early 19th century. The misuse of words of similar sound or construction for comic effect was known long before this. Shakespeare used it to good effect in Much Ado About Nothing c.1598, when the meddlesome Dogberry in Act III, Scene V says, “Comparisons are odorous” when he meant, of course, odious. After Shakespeare’s time, the word dogberryism came into general usage but it was more confined to foolish or meddling behaviour rather than the misuse of words. Eventually, it was replaced by the more familiar malapropism in the early 19th century. Laurel and Hardy made regular use of malapropisms. Stan Laurel once said, “The ocean is infatuated with sharks.” Oliver Hardy corrects him by saying, “You mean infuriated with sharks.” Archie Bunker in the American TV series All in the Family used malapropisms regularly, when he talked about patience being a virgin and making reference to The Women’s Lubrication Movement.