h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There is a special name for the errors that one hears in spoken communication and especially in mistaken song lyrics .

I have been trying to think of it all day but keep coming up with something like *greengrocer* . I have even forgottern the examples -- especially the eponymous one

Anybody help ?

Well, there are homonyms (words that sound or are spelt the same, but have different meanings), and there are malapropisms (where words are unintentionally mistaken for similar sounding words to amusing effect).

But I have a nagging feeling there's another word, and that it's the one you are looking for. And I have *another* nagging feeling that there's a word for the nagging feeling you get when you are sure there's another word...

And the word is...

mondegreen

Coined in 1954 by Sylvia Wright after she realised her childhood mistake in mishearing a line in the Scottish folk song, "The Bonny Earl Of Morray". What she had thought was "Oh, they have slain the Earl o' Morray and Lady Mondegreen." was actually "Oh, they have slain the Earl o' Morray and laid him on the green."

The Old French General for you , Pyriform -- One on each cheek ( but no greater total than two) !

Nothing for the pyriformis

Thanks for putting me out of the agony

> One on each cheek ( but no greater total than two) !

For the full avoidance of doubt, perhaps you should have specified to which *end* you were offering to apply your gratitude.

But thanks anyway. If I hadn't put you out of your agony, I would have ended up suffering myself!

Answering the anatomical --

there is a piriformis muscle- it gives me much pain at times .

So there is! And a brief search on the Net revealed the existence of a "Sacro Wedgy" (TM) which claims to provide relief for sufferers of "piriformis syndrome", although the mere existence of such a "pain in the butt" syndrome is doubted by some, while others think it overlaps with "deep buttock" syndrome... And to cap it all, I find that the muscle itself is little studied and has no clearly defined purpose.

It's all very perplexing, and I wish you hadn't started me off down this path.

Sorry P , but the basic theory resides in * If you have a pain yourself -- just pass it on ! *

No stiff upper lip for brislib

And materia meica is a maddening maze - I am trying to write something on Tourette's syndrome and all I can say is @#*#&@ !!!!!!!