mondegreen

[ mon-di-green ]

noun

1. a word or phrase resulting from a mishearing of another word or phrase, especially in a song or poem.

mondegreen

/ ˈmɒndɪˌɡriːn /

noun

1. a word or phrase that is misinterpreted as another word or phrase, usually with an amusing result

Word History and Origins

Origin of mondegreen¹

Coined by Sylvia Wright, U.S. writer, in 1954; from the line laid him on the green, interpreted as Lady Mondegreen, in a Scottish ballad

Word History and Origins

Origin of mondegreen¹

C20: from the Scottish ballad `The Bonny Earl of Murray', in which the line laid him on the green can be misheard as Lady Mondegreen