4 Exasperating Malapropisms

4 Exasperating Malapropisms 4 Exasperating Malapropisms 4 Exasperating Malapropisms By Maeve Maddox Malapropisms can be funny, but only if one understands both the misused word and the word appropriate in the context. Here are four malapropisms that left one reader scratching his head: 1.The butler entered the drawing room bearing the visitors name card on a silver sliver. The word wanted here is salver, not sliver. A salver is a tray; A sliver is a very narrow splinter of some substance. A silver sliver would not be large enough to hold a visitors card. 2. Mrs Jones earned the reputation of a vertigo because her poor husbands head was always in a spin from her constant nagging and scolding. The word wanted in this context is virago, not vertigo. Vertigo is dizziness; A virago, in this context, is a loud, obnoxious woman who nags and scolds and doesnt behave as a proper woman should. (The word virago has an interesting history that deserves a post of its own.) 3. The teacher commented that Janes essay on D. H. Lawrence was extremely erotic; although certain parts were commendable, others left much to be desired. Yes, D.H. Lawrence is noted for erotic content, but the appropriate word here is erratic. The clue is certain parts were commendable, others left much to be desired. erotic relating to sexual desire. erratic irregular, inconsistent, eccentric. 4. Unfortunately, all efforts to pacify the furious tourists only served to exasperate the situation. Many native English speakers might miss the malapropism in this one because the words exasperate and exacerbate are often used as if they meant the same thing. For example, heres an exchange at Wiki Answers.com: Q: Can you use exasperate in a sentence? A: The 20 mph winds really exasperated the already 20 degree weather, making it feel like 0 degrees. exasperate to cause irritation or annoyance in a person. exacerbate to make a situation worse. The Wiki winds, therefore, would exacerbate the weather and the efforts to pacify the tourists in Example 4 would exacerbate the situation. Thanks to Jayanthi K for suggesting this post. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Direct and Indirect ObjectsThe Many Forms of the Verb TO BEThe "Pied" in The Pied Piper