No one knows the exact origins of buck naked, which means completely naked, but the American Heritage Dictionary says it’s from the U.S. South. The earliest example we can find in historical Google News searches (which of course are very limited) is from 1915, and the term gradually becomes more ... Read more
Must of (must’ve)
The usually nonsensical phrase must of comes from a mishearing of must've, the contraction of must have. The error is surprisingly common and appears even in edited writing---for example: [A] far cry from the days the journey must of taken in Harry Carter's time. [Guardian] One has to wonder ... Read more
Day in age (day and age)
The usefulness of the clichéd phrase day and age is questionable, but it makes sense as a redundant way of saying era or just age. Day in age, on the other hand, is a nonsensical eggcorn derived from a mishearing of day and age. Example Day in age is most common in speech, but it occasionally ... Read more
One and the same, one in the same
One and the same is the logical formulation of the expression meaning the same person or thing. This expression is not hard to parse; it uses redundancy (one and the same being synonyms) for emphasis. The eggcorn one in the same sort of makes sense---if we imagine something being inside the same ... Read more
Safe-deposit box
The phrase referring to a box in which valuables are stored is safe-deposit box, not safety-deposit box. The latter is an eggcorn resulting from a mishearing of the former. The mistake is understandable because the first two syllables of safe-deposit box sound like safety. ... Read more
Hair’s breadth (hare’s breath)
A hair's breadth is a very short distance. Breadth in this phrase is synonymous with width, so the phrase literally refers to the width of a hair. Hare's breath and hair's breath are interesting images, but for the phrase denoting a short distance, they are misspellings. Examples On the ... Read more
Deep-seeded vs. deep-seated
Deep-seeded almost makes sense in a metaphorical way (though seeds sown too deeply won't grow), but deep-seated is the term you're looking for. The phrasal adjective (usually requiring a hyphen) simply indicates that something is seated (in the sense fixed firmly in place) deeply in something ... Read more
Tough row to hoe
In farming and gardening, to hoe a row is to turn a line of soil for the planting of seeds or bulbs. This is the origin of the idiom tough row to hoe, which describes a large, challenging task. A literal tough row to hoe might be one that is long or that involves hoeing dirt with lots of rocks or ... Read more
For all intensive purposes (for all intents and purposes)
For all intents and purposes is the usual form of the phrase meaning in every practical sense. For all intensive purposes is a fairly common eggcorn derived from the original phrase. It's often heard in speech, but it's rare in published writing because it generally doesn't pass through the ... Read more
Dog-eat-dog
Dog-eat-dog is an idiomatic adjective meaning ruthless or competitive. Doggy dog, when used in the phrase doggy-dog world, is an eggcorn resulting from a mishearing of dog-eat-dog. Examples Business is business, and Hollywood is as dog-eat-dog as every other industry. [Reel Loop] We are ... Read more
