Spoonerisms
by S.E. Schlosser
Ever get your words mixed up? Called “pea soup” “sea poup” or a "butterfly" a "flutterby"? You’re not alone. Verbal mix-ups of this kind are officially called metaphasis – literally the translations of sounds.
Another common name applied to word slips is spoonerism, based upon the antics of the Oxford Dean and Warden of New College William Archibald Spooner, a nervous, highly-educated man who was known for his many slips of the tongue. Some of his most famous spoonerisms include:
- Is the bean dizzy? (True meaning: Is the Dean busy?)
- Kingquering Kongs (True meaning: Conquering Kings)
- The Lord is a shoving leopard (True meaning: The Lord is a loving shepherd)
- Please sew me to another sheet (True meaning: Please show me to another seat)
Have you ever had a slip of the tongue? What new spoonerisms have you created?
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Comments
i that word game
Posted by: tanisha | October 2, 2009 09:04 AM