A little boy told his teacher his mother has called him her "cross-eyed" bear. What his mother had really said to him was "you are the cross I bear." The little boy's misstatement is an example of what is called a/an:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The little boy's misinterpretation of "you are the cross I bear" as "cross-eyed bear" is an example of a malapropism, which occurs when a word or phrase is mistakenly used in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect.

A Little Boy Told His Teacher His Mother Has Called