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kleptomaniac- collectomaniac..

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joko | 15:46 Wed 09th Feb 2011 | Phrases & Sayings
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it seems a new word has enteredt into the english language (at least on urban dictionary)
that solely exists because of a mispronunciation, mishearing and misunderstanding of how the word is spelt, how it sounds and what it means.

but interestingly it is often more of an apt word that the first one...and in fact it is so ingrained that many dont even know it is not even a real word, and are utterly convinced they are saying it correctly and using it properly!

are there any other words that have come into use by such a bizarre mistake?

cheers
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"... is often more of an apt word that the first one."

How so?
Painted scenes on walls are now generally known as 'muriels' thanks to Hilda Ogden.
I suppose that collectomaniac is more descriptive and meaningful to those who are unfamiliar with the Greek word 'klepto' meaning to steal.
Somethink - the bane of my life.

I suppose its just a natural evoloution of language, whenever those knowledgeble etymologists describe how word came into being, nearly always it developed from another word.
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...because i am often referred to as a kleptomaniac, by people who dont really know what the word means, because i collect things...i have not stolen it all so collectomaniac is more apt...
I agree with Davethedog. It's amazing the number of, otherwise intelligent, people who say, somethink, nothink and everythink instead of something, nothing and everything. A few years ago our local Methodist minister used to say the k words, and he was very annoying to listen to when giving a sermon.
There must be a reason why some people say nothink, somethink &c yet would not say, walkink, doink, comink &c.
Good point mike11111, I wonder why?
Mike:
It's probably because people know that the present continuous form of a verb ends with '-ing' (even if they've never heard of 'present continuous') whereas they've got no rules in their heads telling them how nouns should end. Consequently they pronounce nouns the way that others around them (e.g. their parents and peer group) do.
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i think actually its possibly a liverpool thing...a lot of people say it here...but they know the word has a g on the end and not a k, and would not spell it as a k..it is just the pronunciation...scouse

a lot of scousers say sutton, or sumptom... to mean something...so maybe it stemmed from attempts to 'speak proper' and has kind of caught on in their kids etc...lol

i hear a lot of the older generation trying to get rid of their scouse accent but it doesnt come naturally to them so they end up sayig things in a very odd way..
like the 'comedy' posh accent of adding and removing the 'aitches and haitches' in the wrong places, and over enunciating...
joko, I don't think it is particularly a scouse thing, I live in Yorkshire and it is quite common here, and as I said in my previous post, it is often by people who you might call, well educated

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