Escapegoat

‘towing the line’ referred to horse drawn barges before motorisation, the large heavy horse plodding along a tow path

RosiesMawagain

Doodledog

It's an egg corn - substituting a similar sounding word for the 'correct' one. Other examples include 'toeing the line', 'passing mustard' and 'tenderhooks'.

As they are all idioms it's not really 'pure ignorance', so much as not knowing where/how the phrases originated.

Or indeed what they mean.

NB Toeing the line is correct!
It’s “towing” that is wrong.
⬆️
Hope this is legible- you may need to enlarge it.

Yes, it was autocorrect that changed it, as I said immediately I saw what had happened.

Having kept goats foe some years I can assure you that they are all definitely Escapegoats!

Having a rest bite after an illness.

Doodledog

It's an egg corn - substituting a similar sounding word for the 'correct' one. Other examples include 'toeing the line', 'passing mustard' and 'tenderhooks'.

As they are all idioms it's not really 'pure ignorance', so much as not knowing where/how the phrases originated.

Or indeed what they mean.

NB Toeing the line is correct!
It’s “towing” that is wrong.
⬆️
Hope this is legible- you may need to enlarge it.

Also always said is All that glistens is not gold’ The proper expression is ‘ All that glisters is not gold ‘.
Most people say the first.

Yes an eggcorn. Scape means an act of escaping (OED).

Ann Patchett published a children’s book titled Escape Goat which is about a a curious goat who keeps escaping from its pen on a farm. Each time the goat escapes, something around the farm goes wrong. The goat is really being used as a scapegoat by the farmer’s family, taking the blame for everyone else’s mischief.

Act 1 Scene 4. Hamlet said he was to the manner born but it’s sometimes written as to the manor born implying wealth and status - as in the popular BBC series.

Sparklefizz

Grrr! He's an "escapegoat" !!! sets my teeth on edge.

What a glorious mental picture this conjured up.

Billy and Nanny Goat leaving the pasture and hot-footing it into the sunset!

Or should this be hot-hoofing it?

With Heidi and Peter in hot pursuit while Clara calls encouragement from her wheel-chair.

Doodledog

Ha! Autocarrot has corrected my eggcorn 'towing the line' for me😀

Mighty quotes from little eggcorns grow.....

Doodledog

Ha! Autocarrot has corrected my eggcorn 'towing the line' for me😀

Oh, sorry, I didn't see that before rushing in to correct you

^ Other examples include 'toeing the line', 'passing mustard' and 'tenderhooks^

Err, 'toeing the line' is correct. 'Towing the line' is the wrong 'un.

keepcalmandcavachon

Surely one of life's little joys is deliberately saying sayings wrong
Or will Korma come & get me?

You're just trying to curry favour now!

Ha! Autocarrot has corrected my eggcorn 'towing the line' for me😀

It's an egg corn - substituting a similar sounding word for the 'correct' one. Other examples include 'toeing the line', 'passing mustard' and 'tenderhooks'.

As they are all idioms it's not really 'pure ignorance', so much as not knowing where/how the phrases originated.

I bet whoever said that said it out of pure ignorance. Had no idea of the actual word, ‘scapegoat ‘, or the biblical reference
Such is education these days
.

My friend is the master of wrong pronunciation.
Two which come to mind are balsamatic vinegar and how much she enjoys Andrew Roo on the television.She has countless others.

I have never heard this either.

Surely one of life's little joys is deliberately saying sayings wrong
Or will Korma come & get me?

I've never heard this!
🐐