Which is right: deep-seeded or deep-seated?

Ran into a bit of usage that caught my attention and made me say “That’s not right.” However, I thought that, rather than pontificating on it, I’d ask you for your thoughts.

Without consulting a usage manual or search engine, which would you say is correct?

a. He has a deep-seeded hatred for Tickle-Me Elmo.

b. He has a deep-seated hatred for Tickle-Me Elmo.

Sound off in the comments.

Update on Friday, June 26, 2009 at 02:44PM by Roy Jacobsen

I have the most well-informed readers in blog-dom. Yes, it should be deep-seated. This error is an eggcorn, that is, a usage error that—unlike a malapropism—actually makes sense on some level.

I wrote about eggcorns here. You can browse a growing database of eggcorns captured in the wild (including an explanation of the seated/seeded variety) here.

Comments

[Loren Eaton]

I always thought it was "seated."

[B.]

deep-seated- b/c of the "seat of emotions."
"deep-seeded" sounds the same and looks correct b/c seed implies beginnings, i.e. the beginning (or root) of the hatred is deeply buried.

[Guy]

It's 'deep seated.' Poor Elmo!

You'll find it discussed here and other places if you Google 'deep seated or deep seeded'

[Clare Lynch]

Definitely seated.

[Lars Walker]

I'm confident it's "deep-seated."

[Jody Bruner]

It should be seated, but I like the imagery of being deep-seeded.

[J D]

I know it is deep-seated because Mr. Webster says so but I like deep-seeded and I'm suprised I haven't heard this mispronounciation before.

Deep-seeded conjures a memory of too deeply planted corn. There is so much anxiety that it won't come up or that the crop will come up spottily and have to be replanted. The extra expense of a second planting will eat up all the profit even if the price of corn is high in the fall.

[Gladstone Liang]

I have a deep-seated dislike for my neighbor Harry, but I have a really deep-seeded hatred for his father's racism.

Each has a place in our language.