mondegreen

Noun

Meaning

(linguistics) A form of (possibly intentional) error arising from mishearing a spoken or sung phrase, possibly in a different language. [from 1954]
Synonym: mishearing

(rare) A misunderstanding of a written or spoken phrase as a result of multiple definitions.

Examples

Deliberate mondegreen main Two authors have written books of supposed foreign-language poetry that are actually mondegreens of nursery rhymes in English. Source: Internet

"Amongst women" became "a monk swimmin'". citation Other examples The traditional game Chinese whispers (" Telephone " in the United States ) involves mishearing a whispered sentence to produce a mondegreen. Source: Internet

In literature The title of J. D. Salinger 's The Catcher in the Rye is often mistaken for a mondegreen. Source: Internet

K. Bose" appears to be a person's name, it is sung repeatedly in the chorus to form the deliberate mondegreen "bhosadi ke" (Hindi: भोसडी क), a Hindi expletive. Source: Internet

Reverse mondegreen Some nonsensical lyrics can be interpreted homophonically as rational text. Source: Internet

The listener can figure out that the last line of the refrain is "A kid'll eat ivy, too; wouldn't you?", but this line is sung only as a mondegreen. Source: Internet

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