Spoonerism
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈspuː.nəɹˌɪ.zəm/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Spoonerism is a noun meaning (linguistics, rhetoric) A play on words on a phrase in which the initial (usually consonantal) sounds of two or more of the main words are transposed.
Meaning
(linguistics, rhetoric) A play on words on a phrase in which the initial (usually consonantal) sounds of two or more of the main words are transposed.
Example Sentences
Undergraduates at Oxford University were playfully fond of Spooner, whom they nicknamed "the Spoo". They also coined the term "spoonerism" around 1885, after Spooner had been a fellow at New College for almost twenty years. By 1892, his reputation for absentmindedness was well known; students came to New College expecting to hear a spoonerism.
Word Forms
- spoonerisms
Synonyms for spoonerism
Depending on context, synonyms include marrowsky.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include metaphasis, dysphemism, malaphor, spoofery, malapropism, metonomy.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.