A new word: MONDEGREEN

mondegreen

Line breaks: mon|de|green

Pronunciation: /ˈmɒndəgriːn

 

noun

• a misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase resulting from a mishearing of the lyrics of a song.

  More example sentences

  • So I listened to it several times, wondering if my perception of it might be a mondegreen.
  • Of course, you want to make sure that you don't become the victim of a mondegreen: that's a misheard lyric to you and me.
  • It's not a mondegreen because the mis-construal is not part of a song or poem or similar performance.

Origin

1950s: from Lady Mondegreen, a misinterpretation of the phrase laid him on the green, from the traditional ballad ‘The Bonny Earl of Murray’.