Spoonerisms

A spoonerism is an accidental or intentional play on words. It occurs when the beginning sounds of words are switched with each other to create new words with a humorous effect. For example, kugs and hisses is the spoonerized form of hugs and kisses, or nood gews from good news. 

The term Spoonerism is named after an Oxford professor called William Spooner, who was renowned for committing these errors. Here are a few spoonerisms attributed to him:

Three cheers for our queer old dean! instead of dear old queen

The Lord is a shoving [a] leopard. for loving shepherd [b]

a blushing crow [c] for crushing blow

a well-boiled icicle [d] for well-oiled bicycle

The classic children’s writer Shel Silverstein devoted an entire book to spoonerisms, called Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook (Bunny Rabbit: A Silly Book).

Of course, I put myself up to the challenge of creating my very own spoonerisms!

measure trap, treasure map

power surge, sour purge [e]
chutes and ladders, loots and chatters [f]
bird watching, word botching [g]

cheaters lose, leaders choose

Did Atilla the Hun go too gung-ho?
Protesters carry mad banners against bad manners.

Morse code is a coarse mode of communication.

The real meaning of the sentences below is hidden in the spoonerism. The unspoonerized sentences are in the comments below.


1) How can you save a dish from frowning [h] ?

2) Monarchs in glass castles should never stow [i] thrones.

3) The lovesick jock mistakenly put his heart before the course.

4) I was in such a rush this morning that I left home without my fake breast.

5) You're not from this city. You must be some hick [j]

6) Have you ever met a person who is blind mowing [k] ?

[a] que empuja, [b] pastor, [c] cuervo que ruboriza, [d] carámbano, [e] subida de voltaje, purga agria, [f] toboganes y escaleras, saquea y chacharea, [g] observación de aves, chapucear palabras, [h] fruncir el ceno, [i] guardar, [j] ¡vaya pueblerino! [k] cartar cesped,