# Malapropagation 2012 -- Revenge of the Schtick **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 6, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869 "2012-09-06T17:19:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/21 "2012-09-09T16:28:43Z")
Don’t be silly. **Gin** are spirits all right, but they’re not potable; they’re the malevolent magic ones found in the Arabian Nights. ---
**Author:** ![Carnacki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Carnacki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnacki)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/22 "2012-09-09T17:35:12Z")
I understand the confusion, but you’re thinking of a **Genie**. That’s a 16th century Japanese spy, usually wearing all black and wielding shurikens or a katana. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/23 "2012-09-09T19:28:34Z")
Nonsense! What do they teach kids these days? **Ninja** is a hot sweet spice that can either be made into a refreshing drink or used to flavour cakes and biscuits. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/24 "2012-09-09T20:47:24Z")
That would be **nutmeg** , which was a popular roasted snack in this country until most of the crop was wiped out by a blight. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/25 "2012-09-09T21:25:54Z")
I beg your pardon, but I think it was a reference to **ginger**. You know, to harm or maim someone? ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/26 "2012-09-09T22:45:53Z")
Good grief! You must mean\*\* injure\*\*, to protect or guarantee against risk or loss. ---
**Author:** ![Kalea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@Kalea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalea)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/27 "2012-09-10T00:21:01Z")
As a fan of Project Runway, I think you meant **insure** , high fashion, one-off designs. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/28 "2012-09-10T00:28:23Z")
No, no. I assure you, you mean **couture** , a booklet or pamphlet for advertising your wares. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/29 "2012-09-10T00:37:36Z")
No, that would be a **catalog** which is also the secret identity of Gotham socialite Selena Kyle. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/30 "2012-09-10T00:48:54Z")
No, **Catwoman** wasn’t a secret, just kind of spooky, being underground tombs in cities like Rome, Paris and Vienna. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/31 "2012-09-10T02:52:40Z")
That would be a **catacomb** , a natural disaster of great proportions. ---
**Author:** ![Kalea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@Kalea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalea)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/32 "2012-09-10T06:24:22Z")
I’m sorry to correct you, but you couldn’t be more wrong. A \*\* cataclysm\*\* is a boat with two hulls. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/33 "2012-09-10T09:39:33Z")
> [@Kalea](#): > > I’m sorry to correct you, but you couldn’t be more wrong. A \*\* cataclysm\*\* is a boat with two hulls. No, that’s a **catamaran** , which is a curved hunting club hurled by Australian Aborigines to stun their prey. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/34 "2012-09-10T15:33:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > No, that’s a **catamaran** , which is a curved hunting club hurled by Australian Aborigines to stun their prey. No, a **boomerang** is a light sweet confection, made of baked sugared egg-white froth and typically sandwiched together with fresh cream. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/35 "2012-09-10T18:56:36Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > No, a **boomerang** is a light sweet confection, made of baked sugared egg-white froth and typically sandwiched together with fresh cream. I’m pretty sure you’re thinking of meringue, which is a long, aggressive speech. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/36 "2012-09-10T19:18:49Z")
A **harangue**? No, that’s an edible sea fish! ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/37 "2012-09-11T01:00:55Z")
Hmmm…surely you mean a **herring** , an ornament worn on the ears. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/38 "2012-09-11T01:30:31Z")
Sorry TexCat, I believe that you are reffering to the ammount of profit that a company produces in a specific time period. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/39 "2012-09-11T02:45:54Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Sorry TexCat, I believe that you are reffering to the ammount of profit that a company produces in a specific time period. You’re supposed to say that he was thinking of an **earring.** But in any event, he wasn’t- he was actually talking about **earnings** , which was a character played by Jim Varney in a series of commercials and movies. ---
**Author:** ![Kalea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@Kalea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalea)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869/40 "2012-09-11T04:41:55Z")
You’ve got it mixed up - **Ernest** is something you use to heat your house. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malapropagation-2012-revenge-of-the-schtick/633869.md?page=3)