Yogi Berrisms

The English language is based on a lot of rules and a defined structure, but there are almost as many exceptions to rules, as there are rules. This is especially true when it comes to spoken English.

When we're speaking we often don't say things like we would write them. We take short cuts, we omit words, we use slang. Spoken English is much more casual than the written word.

This casualness leads to the use of malapropisms. Malapropisms are when a word is substituted in for another making the phrase meaningless, but often providing comedy. They have been a staple of comedy since Shakespearean times.

Some people take the use of malapropisms to a new frontier. The most famous is New York Yankee Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra. Berra played during the Yankees' glory years of the 50s and 60s. He was a reporter's dream. Berra would throw around unintentional malapropisms whenever he was interviewed. He went further beyond malapropisms and twisted English right around. He was a reporter's dream, but a grammatical nightmare. Here are a few examples:

"It ain't over til it's over."
"It's deja vu all over again."
"90% of the game is half mental."
"He can run anytime he wants. I'm giving him the red light."

English is a pretty strange language and people tend to twist it into knots. Fifty years after Berra's prime his sayings are still legendary.