Mrs. Malaprop, The Ad(Wo)Man

Authors

M. H. Greenblatt

Abstract

Webster's unabridged dictionary (Third Edition) defines a malapropism as "a usually humorous misapplication of a word or phrase; specifically, a blundering use of a word that sounds somewhat like the one intended but is ludicrously wrong in the context." The term is derived from Mrs. Malaprop, a lady in Richard Sheridan's 1775 comedy, "The Rivals," noted for her misuse of words.

Recommended Citation

Greenblatt, M. H. (1972) "Mrs. Malaprop, The Ad(Wo)Man," Word Ways: Vol. 5 : Iss. 1 , Article 13.
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/wordways/vol5/iss1/13