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

Example Sentences

The difficulty is captured in his recent novel, “Mondegreen,” about a middle-aged writer who suffers a breakdown when changing languages.

From Los Angeles Times

Just the other day, for example, people were shaking their head at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, talking about things being grown in “peach tree dishes,” which is a mondegreen of a familiar kind, and is rather shocking coming from someone who has any educational attainment beyond kindergarten.

From Slate

Purple Mountains even took their name from a mondegreen of the lyrics to America the Beautiful.

From The Guardian

Can’t you tell I’m just a nerd who loves a mondegreen?”

From Washington Post

Mondegreen, a misheard song lyric I can see clearly now Lorraine has gone Wrapped up like a douche, I ask what was she on?

From Washington Post