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

Wordplay type?

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]