spoonerisms

[Gerald Cohen]

   For an article on spoonerisms, see Barry Popik and Gerald Cohen: "Spoonerism
Arose From The 'Woolish Fit' Of Oxford Undergraduates." in: _Studies
in Slang, Part VI_, by Barry A. Popik and Gerald Leonard Cohen_.
(Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang), 1999, pp.91-92.

    Barry, in his sleuthing, turned up a Jan. 27, 1924 article in the
_NY Tribune_, Part II, p. 30/6-7. An interesting observation there is
that
Spooner never said most of the spoonerisms attributed to him:
"Indeed, Dr. Spooner himself is said to have declared that most of
the transpositions attributed to him were due to the 'woolish fit' of
Oxford undergraduates."

   David Shulman has already demonstrated that the term "hot dog" is
traceable to the irreverent humor of college students. Barry has
demonstrated that at least one more item (spoonerism) arose similarly.

Gerald Cohen


>At 11:40 AM -0800 2/13/03, vida morkunas wrote:
>from NewsScan today.  The shining wit example is particularly brilliant.
>
>==========
>
>WORTH THINKING ABOUT: SPOONERISMS
>       Here's another excerpt from the popular new book, "A Word a Day: A
>Romp Through Some of the Most Unusual and Intriguing Words in English," by
>Anu Garg and Stuti Garg. Anu and Stuti write this time about "spoonerisms":
>       Spoonerism (SPOO-nuh-riz-em),  noun. The transposition of usually
>initial sounds of words producing a humorous result.
>       Spoonerisms have perhaps been around ever since we humans began
>feeling disconcerted, and as a result mismatched the sounds of two words,
>but the name for this affliction came to the English language only around a
>century ago. William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), British clergyman and
>educator, was undoubtedly the finest practitioner of the art of spoonerism.
>And both of his professions gave him ample opportunity to unwittingly show
>his specialty.
>       Some of the choicest examples from this eponymous man are:
>       Addressing a truant student: "You have tasted two whole worms, you
>have hissed all my mystery lectures. You will leave by the next town drain."
>       Toasting the Queen: "Three cheers for our queer old dean!"
>       Scolding a pyromaniac miscreant: "You have been caught fighting a liar
>in the quad."
>       Officiating a wedding: "It is now kisstomary to cuss the bride."
>       Enquiring the secretary of his university official: "Is the bean
>dizzy?"
>       To another parish in a church: "I believe you're occupewing my pie.
>May I sew you to another sheet?"
>       Rev. Spooner, the father of spoonerisms, not only gave the English
>language a new word, an eponym, but also an artful device for repartee. The
>story goes that a member of Parliament cut off another calling him a shining
>wit, and then apologized for making a spoonerism.
>       Two more:
>       Cleaning the Government: One of my favorites, blurted out by the
>announcer who had the honor of introducing the first radio address by a
>President of the U.S., is "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my very great
>pleasure to present the President of the United States, Mr. Hoobert
>Heever!" -Katherine E. Hudson, Grass Valley
>       Say Cheese: As a dinner was coming to a close I once invited everyone
>to "Please Chatter" upon arrival of the Cheese Platter! -Philippe
>Gray-Grzeszkiewicz, Sydney, Australia