Examples of Malapropism

Here are some examples of malapropisms:

• Mrs. Malaprop said, "Illiterate him quite from your memory" (obliterate) and "She's as headstrong as an allegory" (alligator)
• Officer Dogberry said, "Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons" (apprehended two suspicious persons)
• Rainy weather can be hard on the sciences. (sinuses)
• Alice said she couldn't eat crabs or any other crushed Asians. (crustaceans)
• I have no delusions to the past. (allusions)
• You could have knocked me over with a fender. (feather)
• You lead the way and we'll precede. (proceed)
• Unfortunately, my affluence over my niece is very small. (influence)
• A rolling stone gathers no moths. (moss)
• Good punctuation means not to be late. (punctuality)
• Having one wife is called monotony. (monogamy)
• The flood damage was so bad they had to evaporate the city. (evacuate)
• Dad says the monster is just a pigment of my imagination. (figment)
• Everybody in the company has their own cuticle. (cubicle)
• Tom is the very pineapple of politeness. (pinnacle)
• I remember because I have photogenic memory. (photographic)
• Flying saucers are just an optical conclusion. (illusion)

Here are some examples of malapropisms made by well-known people:

• "The police are not here to create disorder, they're here to preserve disorder." - Richard Daley, former mayor of Chicago
• "He was a man of great statue." - Thomas Menino, mayor of Boston
• "Texas has a lot of electrical votes." (electoral votes) - Yogi Berra
• "Well, that was a cliff-dweller." (cliff-hanger) - Wes Westrum
• "Be sure and put some of those neutrons on it." (croutons) - Mike Smith
• "It's got lots of installation." (insulation) - Mike Smith speaking about a new coat
• "Create a little dysentery among the ranks." (dissension) - Christopher Moltisanti from "The Sopranos"
• "This is unparalyzed in the state's history." (unparelled) - Gib Lewis, Texas Speaker of the House

These are examples of malapropisms spoken by Archie Bunker in "All in the Family":

• "A witness shall not bear falsies against thy neighbor."
• "The hookeries and massageries…the whole world is turning into a regular Sodom and Glocca Morra."
• "Last will and tentacle…"
• "Patience is a virgin." (virtue)
• "A menstrual show." (minstrel)
• "Buy one of them battery operated transvestite radios."
• "A woman doctor is only good for women's problems…like your groinocology."
• "I ain't a man of carnival instinctuals like you."
• "Irene Lorenzo, Queen of the Women's Lubrication Movement."
• "In her elastic stockings, next to her very close veins."
• "In closing, I'd like to say Molotov!" (Mazel Tov)

These are examples of malapropisms made by former president George W. Bush:

• "It will take time to restore chaos and order."
• "The law I sign today directs new funds... to the task of collecting vital intelligence... on weapons of mass production."
• "They have miscalculated me as a leader."
• "I am mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself, but for predecessors as well."
• "We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."
• "We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile."

You may mis-speak sometimes and create your own malapropism examples, so watch out for them. You can explore other types of language errors such as eggcorns and mondegreens.