Has "segway" become an acceptable substitute for "segue"?

Question

For a long time, I used the word segway in relative contentment, as a useful word to mean "to transition to." As in:

We're getting off-topic. Let's segway to the next discussion point, shall we?

Then one day, and to my surprise, I was shocked, after making a comment on somebody's blog, to be haughtily corrected and informed that correct usage was actually segue, which apparently comes by the Italian seguire, meaning "to follow." I was additionally told that segway was a vulgar imitation used by know-nothings, a sort of word like bonafied that instantly revealed one's class and relative ignorance.

Wow! I had little doubt that the use of segway was substatially bolstered by the hype and general pop-cultural awareness of Dean Kamen's famous flop, but back then, I'd always thought he'd fittingly named his vehicle after the word itself, and it was strange to me to learn that the Segway was in fact knowingly named after a corruption.

On the other hand, this is a mistake I continually hear lots of people, even educated people, make — cf. for example, whoever Joel is talking to at the 61^st minute of the latest podcast.

So has segway become acceptable as a replacement for segue? Can segue be considered all but dead? To be clear, as this is StackExchange, I'm not looking for, "ooh! I say it this way", and "no, I say it that way!" responses; I'm looking more for quantitative data, usage by established authorities (is the NYRB using segway?), and perhaps discussions from those who have written on this before.

Answer 1

Google Ngram data provides a little insight although the introduction of the Segway was quite recent. There does seem to be a dip in the use of 'segue' since around 2003 which coincides somewhat with the rise of the Segway in the common consciousness.

Perhaps 'segue' is at a disadvantage owing to its not having what might be called an 'intuitive' spelling. Hence the more phonetically appealing 'segway', boosted by the invention and subsequent naming of the ridiculous personal transport vehicle, is making inroads.

(My personal opinion: the word is spelled 'segue' and always will be. Anything else is just laziness and poor literacy.)

Answer 2

The only meaning of segway reported by the NOAD, and the OED, is the following:

Segway: [trademark] a two-wheeled motorized personal vehicle consisting of a platform for the feet mounted above an axle and an upright post surmounted by handles.

As per the origin of the word, both the dictionaries say "an invented word based on segue."

I would say that segway is not an acceptable substitute for segue.

Answer 3

http://www.english-for-students.com/Segway-or-Segue.html This sums it up:

When you shift to a new topic or activity, you segue. Many people unfamiliar with the unusual Italian spelling of the word misspell it as “segway.”

This error is being encouraged by the deliberately punning name used by the manufacturers of the Segway Human Transporter.

Answer 4

The question is hard to answer because the framing is unclear. A podcast (audio only) is referenced, but elsewhere it looks like the question is between the spelling "segway" and "segue". The only resolution for this contradiction is if the author believed that "segway" and "segue" are pronounced differently. Dictionaries would indicate that they are homophones. So perhaps an alternate pronunciation for "segue" is at play. I've heard my mother pronounce "segue" as "seeg". Whether that's a regional variant, a personal quirk, or a common error, I'm not sure, though she did study music so perhaps it was taught. Perhaps that's where the confusion lies.

Answer 5

Segway, seque, or segue.

Ameriglish is an evolving language; in the last two years since this thread began, segway is gaining ground over segue, as vulgar an incorrect as some of us linguists and etymologists might find it. Be a hipster, use & co-create the Urban Dictionary, and Segway into the new lingo. There certainly is something very classy and non-irrelevant about using the original Italian pronunciation se'gwe; such a proseguimento used appropriately by a gentleman arriving at my door with CHILLED Argyle Champagne on one arm and any variety of lilies on the other will receive my affection, especially if his attire includes an eldredge knot, and he offers a ballet or opera where one might truly enjoy the nuances of proseguire. So that we don't fight it too hard and go mad, but appreciate the rapid and rabid segwaying of our common language, I offer this verifiable quantitative data, a woven tapestry of musical pun, Soundgarden — by Crooked Steps, compliments of famed composer Dave Grohl:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTaVHM6HGuQ&feature=youtu.be