Is "scrap paper" an eggcorn?

[rhu]

This came up at dropoff in my son's fourth-grade class this morning. M-W has "scratch paper" (no citation) and not "scrap paper." So is "scrap paper" an eggcorn?

It's not in the eggcorn database.

Google books shows an earliest citation of "scratch paper" from 1779 1833, while the earliest citation for "scrap paper" is 1838.

[Edited to add: Thanks to Ben Zimmer for pointing out that my earlier source is clearly not from 1779, despite what Google Books says. But the 1833 source stands.]

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Someone should tell the OED. Their earliest citation of scrap paper seems to date from 1885:

1885 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 228/2 The materials for the commoner classes of work are old waste and scrap paper, repulped... For very delicate relief ornaments, a pulp of *scrap paper is prepared.

(The phrase "scraps of paper" dates from 1726.)

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

The OED also claims that "scratch paper" is a North American phrase, which would seem to imply that scrap paper is not an eggcorn.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, "scrap paper" is being used in a subtly different sense here. The OED's citation seems to be referring to scrap paper as any other odds-and-ends commodity (since its use is to be pulped) rather than as a medium on which one writes brief throw-away notes.

But still, it would be cool to submit an antedated citation to the OED. I wonder how one does that.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

I found the relevant information on the OED website and have submitted the citation. Thanks!

[danchall.myvidoop.com (from livejournal.com)]

There is overlap: I think paper being produced for the original purpose of writing throw-away notes may be a relatively new phenomenon (by etymological standards). Many people write throw-away notes on paper that was already used once and is suitable for scrap. So maybe "scrap" characterizes the source, and "scratch" characterizes the purpose.

Google's define:"scrap paper" outpolls define:"scratch paper" by about 5:1.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I agree, they are used to mean slightly different things. Although you're unlikely to use scrap paper as anything but scratch paper, you could very well use non-scrap paper as scratch paper. See also: scratch tape, scratch monkey, scrap metal, scrap heap.

[violetcheetah.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I grew up referring to "scrap paper," and never heard "scratch paper" until college. The latter makes little sense to me other than the scratching sound of a pencil or pen on it, but I also didn't grow up with phrases like "scratch down a note" or whatever; I use "scribble."

[42itous.livejournal.com]

I don't know what's technically correct, but I *understand* the meaning of the phrase "scrap paper," whereas I don't understand "scratch paper." Similarly, "prank call" makes sense; "crank call" doesn't. It makes my brain hurt just to think about that one.

[gemini6ice.livejournal.com]

My understanding has been that:

"scratch paper" is paper intended for doing scratch work: mathematics by hand, anagramming, etc.

"scrap paper" is leftover paper from another task or project which is repurposed on-the-fly for an emergency writing need.