this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2025
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Funny

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[–] hakase@lemm.ee 45 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (11 children)

This is an example of folk etymology. The original word was Spanish cucaracha, but English speakers couldn't make anything meaningful of that when they borrowed it into English, and so they folk etymologized it into cock "male chicken" and roach "a type of fish", that sounds similar enough to cucaracha to be reasonable.

The same thing happened to Cayo Hueso "Bone Key" as "Key West", for example.

[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 months ago (7 children)

I hate that THAT is acceptable but when I combine "no one" to "noone" someone HAS to call me out for it and act like English never changes to become easier

it's extremely petty but I'm still mad about it

[–] BambiDiego@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago (4 children)
[–] MadJockMcMad@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

People like you should of never been born

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Nah let these gentlemen cook. I don’t get mad when people can’t do math and destroy the economy, but make one spelling or grammar error online and it’s over.

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