Editing Mondegreen (section)

==Reverse mondegreen==
A '''reverse mondegreen''' is the intentional production, in speech or writing, of words or phrases that seem to be gibberish but disguise meaning.<ref name=Boomer>{{cite web|url=http://misterboomer.com/2012/07/boomers-misheard-lyrics-over-and-dover-again/|title=Boomers Misheard Lyrics Over and Dover Again|date=22 July 2012|access-date=20 February 2020|archive-date=20 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220154207/http://misterboomer.com/2012/07/boomers-misheard-lyrics-over-and-dover-again/|url-status=live}}</ref> A prominent example is ''[[Mairzy Doats]]'', a 1943 [[novelty song]] by Milton Drake, [[Al Hoffman]], and [[Jerry Livingston]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Randall |first=Dale B. J. |year=1995 |title=American "Mairzy" Dottiness, Sir John Fastolf's Secretary, and the "Law French" of a Caroline Cavalier |journal=American Speech |volume=70 |issue=4 |pages=361–370 |doi=10.2307/455617 |jstor=455617 |publisher=Duke University Press }}</ref> The lyrics are a reverse mondegreen, made up of [[same-sounding words]] or phrases (sometimes also referred to as "oronyms"),<ref>{{cite book |author=Steven Pinker |title=The Language Instinct |publisher=William Morrow |place=New York |year=1994 |page=155 |isbn=978-0-688-12141-9 |author-link=Steven Pinker |title-link=The Language Instinct }}</ref> so pronounced (and written) as to challenge the listener (or reader) to interpret them:

::Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
::A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?<!-- “WOODEN SHOE" is not in the source. Please do not change this quote -->

The clue to the meaning is contained in the bridge of the song:

::If the words sound queer and funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey,
::Sing "[[Mare]]s eat oats and [[wikt:doe#Noun|does]] eat oats and little lambs eat ivy."

That makes it clear that the last line is "A kid'll eat ivy, too; wouldn't you?"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Adam |title=Pronunciation and phonetics : a practical guide for English language teachers |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-315-85809-8 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=New York |pages=110 |oclc=878144737 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7kksAwAAQBAJ |access-date=21 March 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713200215/https://books.google.com/books?id=7kksAwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>