[Lexicog] Spoonerism (was: names as characteristic of a category)

[Fritz Goerling]

Kim,

 

I have another definition of "spoonerism" which goes back to a historical
person Reverend Spooner.

The following link is fun reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoonerism

 

Fritz

 

Yes, I was thinking of the term, Spoonerism, which is based on a personality
(??) trait. Along with the tendency to transpose consonants goes a
stereotype of someone who's sort of an airhead. But the term doesn't name
the personality trait; rather the effect that others experience due to a
kink in the brain or something.

Cool story...

Kim

Fritz Goerling wrote: 

Kim, what do you mean by "Spoonerism" in relation to this thread? Did you
mean the word formation type "name of famous person" + -ism. If not, yes,
why don't we share some good spoonerisms on this list, where plays on words
are welcome.

Here is one:

 

A  certain village chief once visited Europe and saw how European royalty

live. In particular, he was impressed by the British queen on her grand

throne. When he got back to his village in Africa, he got a throne made,

just like the queen's. But he had problems fitting it in his grass hut -

every evening he would have to move it out to make space for sleeping. So he

devised a plan - he worked out a clever system of pulleys and ropes, so

that, at the end of each day's official business, he would just have the

throne lifted up into the roof of the hut, leaving space for sleeping

underneath it. Tragically, on the first night of the new arrangement, a gust

of wind, or a passing gecko, or simply the weight of the great throne, sent

it crashing down on top of the chief and his wife, and they were killed.

Which all goes to show that people in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones!

Fritz 

How about "Spoonerism"? A bit different but...
Kim

...




 

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