Date:  Wed, 15 May 1996 17:26:56 -0400

From:  "David Bergdahl (614) 593-2783" <BERGDAHL[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]OUVAXA.CATS.OHIOU.EDU>

Subject: biff



On my American English class's listserv, a student wrote:



"As Dr. Bergdahl was talking about words that people biff, such as

Pulitzer Surprise, one such word came to my mind. Actually, I almost

biffed it when I was typing it in a friend's e-mail message today. The

word is this morning, but for some reason, in my head, I couldn't think

how to spell it because I was thinking of this smorning, which is how it

sounds when you say it. As a result, I almost typed it in like that. I

had to think twice before I typed it in and then realized it was this

morning. I was wondering if anyone else out there has the same problem as

I with certain words. Respond back if you do."



I'd never met "biff" before: anyone else familiar with it? The reference

is to Pinker's discussion of what we on this list have been calling

Mondegreens.



    ______________________________________________________

    David Bergdahl     BERGDAHL[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]OUVAXA.CATS.OHIOU.EDU

    Associate Professor of English Language and Literature

    Ohio University / Athens      fax: (614) 593-2818

    ______________________________________________________