Linguistics

A whole linguistic term exists because someone misheard a poem

In 1954, writer Sylvia Wright described mishearing a line from a Scottish ballad, 'laid him on the green', as 'Lady Mondegreen'. She coined 'mondegreen' for exactly this phenomenon: confidently mishearing a phrase, especially in song lyrics, as something else that also happens to make sense. The mishearing usually sticks because the brain fills gaps with the most familiar pattern it can find.

Sylvia Wright, The Death of Lady Mondegreen — Harper's Magazine, 1954

One credited idea per card. No filler. Swipe the rest in Savvy.

Keep swiping — it's free Works right in your browser. No app store needed.