Any old slip of the tongue — such as forgetting a word or using the wrong verb tense — can be called misspeaking. But when it’s specifically a humorous mix-up of words, that’s a malapropism. This linguistic blunder comes from the 18th-century play “The Rivals.” In it, the character Mrs. Malaprop is known for unintentionally using the wrong words in hilarious contexts. For example, she exclaims, “He is the very pine-apple [pinnacle] of politeness!” Playwright Richard Sheridan likely got his inspiration from the French term “mal à propos,” meaning “inappropriate.” The noun can refer to the linguistic effect in general, or a specific instance of malapropism.