I didn't know the word entrance. I took that word to mean entrance as in doorway. So it conjured up a horrible picture for me... all those tongues trying to force their way into an ear. It was the stuff of horror movies.
This phenomenon of mishearing or misinterpreting lines of poetry is known as "Mondegreens."
It comes from a misunderstood poem, much recited as: They have killed the Earl of Moray, and Lady Mondegreen.
The line should read "and laid him on the green."
My husband's brother , who was educated by Benedictines, always thought that words of the Hail Mary were "blessed art thou monks swimming," rather than "blessed art thou amongst women."
Other favorites are "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear" instead of "Gladly the cross I'd bear."
And Olive, the other reindeer, instead of "all of the other reindeer."
So I'm curious to know if anyone else has had some amusing or embarrassing misunderstandings.Fess up, Reds.
HALLIE EPHRON: I had no idea that's what they're called. Like so many other kids, for years I pledged allegiance to the republic for Richard Stans. And there was elemeno -- the letter between K and P. And it took me a long time to realize that The B-52s were urging me to Roam if you want to. I thought it was Rome ipsewannoo, like maybe a Latin expression. No clue until I saw the lyric printed out. My granddaughter is besotted with Mary Poppins an sings Supercalifragilistic: "If you say it loud enough you'll always sound capocious" while marching around the house with an open pink umbrella.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, yes, Mondegreens. Love them. Of course, the Jimi Hendrix song: Excuse me while I kiss this guy. Instead of kiss the sky.
And in God Bless America: Through the night with a light from a bulb.
(I'm sorry, I laugh every time.)
Londonderry Air? I ALWAYS thought was London Derriere.
My grandson Eli used to cry out: "Cariou! Cariou!" And we could never figure it out. Finally we realized he was saying: Carry you. As in: Want me to carry you?
RHYS: Hank, when I sang with an opera chorus, many moons ago, a flaboyantly gay fellow singer misinterpreted the song "She's a must to avoid" as "She's a muscular boy!"
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: One of my kids, also in Catholic school, thought the prayer said, "Hail, Mary, full of grapes." I certainly Mondegreen on many popular songs today -I'm not sure if my hearing is that bad, or if singers' enunciation is poor. Maybe both? When I was younger I never got the lyrics to "Secret Agent Man" right. I thought the singer was saying "secret Asian man." Also, the song "Evil woman" STILL sounds like "Medieval Woman" to me.
My late father-in-law consistently referred to Alzheimer's as Old Timers, although that may be a malapropism rather than a Mondegreen.
Oh, and for Christmas songs? For years, I thought the verse in "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" was "Later on, we'll perspire/As we sit by the fire." To be fair, it seems more logical than conspiring by the fire.
LUCY BURDETTE: Our son used to call people "papaswinbags" instead of pompous windbags. We can't remember the context! Could it possibly have been in HOME ALONE?
DEBORAH CROMBIE; DEBORAH CROMBIE: I had no idea they were called that, either! How funny. I never get song lyrics right, either, and the hub always laughs at me. I did finally learn that the line from The Weight was "Take a load off Annie," not "Take a load of fanny..."
RHYS: Anyone have a favorite Mondegreen to share?
