malapropism

A malapropism (also called a Dogberryism or acyrologia) is the substitution of a word for a word with a similar sound, in which the resulting phrase makes no sense but often creates a comic effect.

The terms malapropism and the earlier variant malaprop come from Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 1775 play The Rivals, and in particular the character Mrs. Malaprop. Sheridan presumably named his character Mrs. Malaprop, who frequently misspoke (to great comic effect), in joking reference to the word malapropos.

Some examples:

• “…promise to forget this fellow – to illiterate him, I say, quite from your memory.”
     [obliterate]
•   “O, he will dissolve my mystery!”
     [resolve]
   
• “He is the very pine-apple of politeness!”
     [pinnacle]
   
• “I have since laid Sir Anthony’s preposition before her;”
     [proposition]

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