Sunday, December 14, 2008

A pew nost for rose that thead

If the above title is confusing to you then perhaps you need to be introduced to one of my most favorite oddities of the english language ... the spoonerism.

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

Here are some excerpts from this article to give you some ideas of what spoonerisms actually are.

"Three cheers for our queer old dean!" (referring to Queen Victoria)
"Is it kisstomary to cuss the bride?" (customary to kiss)
"The Lord is a shoving leopard." (a loving shepherd)
"A blushing crow." (crushing blow)
"A well-boiled icicle" (well-oiled bicycle)
"You were fighting a liar in the quadrangle." (lighting a fire)
"Is the bean dizzy?" (dean busy)
"Someone is occupewing my pie. Please sew me to another sheet." (occupying my pew...show me to another seat)
"You have hissed all my mystery lectures. You have tasted a whole worm. Please leave Oxford on the next town drain." (missed...history, wasted...term, down train)

As you can see these have the potential of getting really funny really fast. :) And they can be especially funny for kids!

They are probably most fun when they happen to you by accident though. However my first exposure to spoonerisms came by the way of an old comedian/storyteller named Archie Campbell. He tells the whole story of Cinderella or in this case ... Rindercella. Enjoy and please also see that since I listened to this regularly as a child (and still have it on a 45 record), I had NO chance of being normal :)

http://www.matthewgoldman.com/spoon/rindercella_2.html
(there is an mp3 link in this so you can listen to the original recording)

Also here is a variation on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star :) Although not a true spoonerism through and through, I just CAN'T get through this without laughing out loud!

Starkle, Starkle Little Twink,
Who the heck you are I think
I am not under the affluence of inkahol
As some thinkle peep I am
I've had tee martoonis and a scottle of botch
And the drunker I sit here the longer I get.

1 comment:

Heather said...

Awesome - lol! And I have to live with him pulling these spoonerisms off when we are driving down the road. :D Too funny. Although there are times like last nite, when I was using my nowing seedle that he didn't catch it; oh well. Harry Mristchas everyone. :P