The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-06-04
A TRICKY TONGUE.
It Won Dean spooner a Reputa-
tlon For Unconscious Humor.
QUEER sLvNoERs OF SPEECH
Some Of The Gene Attributed 70 the
Old Osan'a Habit Of ir.srchan0ing
the First Letters or syiIabIss Of


Old Deans Habit Of ir.srchanQins
the First Letters Or syiIabIss Of
Words-Amsriean "speonsrisnrs."
"Spoonerisms" is a recognized and
accepted word used in the best circles
Of English society. even though 1t has
not yet found its way into the die.
tionaries. Derived from the last nnme
Of the Rev. William A. SpOOner, ward
en- of New college. Oxford. 1t charac.
terizes a curious sort of blunder that
IL habitual with that man the uncon
scious interchanging of the first letters
or syllables of words With what are
Jften directly humorous results.
The most famous of all the stories
about him tells how be once thundered
out from the pulpit. Jehovah was not
on the side of the kinkering congs."
meaning, Of course. "conquerinY kings"
At another time he convulsed his au.
dience by boldly stating that be held
concealed half worrned Dish (half
formed wish, in his bosom.
At university dinner given at the
time Of Queen victoria's diamond Jubi.
lee he proposed. "Three cheers for the
queer old dean." and they we're given
with will. In honor not only of the
dear old queen whom he had wished
to remember. but Of the queer old
dean who had forgotten himself.
Exasperated by u would be humorist
among his pupils. he Informed MIN
that he had "weebIe fit." not mean.
ing any new disease. but the old. old
complaint of feeble wit
To another who had been mainly oc.
cupied in wasting two terms ut college
be complained. you have been incor'
rightly lazy and, to top It all. you have
tasted two worms"
In quoting the familiar text. "Bow
not thy knee to an IDOL" be made 1t.
| Bow not thine eye to needle"
| One day he discovered stranger sit
ding In his family pew. Madam"
whispered he. do you intend to occu.
lew this pie?"
Also he could blunder as blIthesome-
~ In action as In speech. One windy
day. as he was walking down High
street In oxford. his hat blew of. He
stopped to pick it up. but at that very
moment hen hurried by. He set OF
In full pursuit and never stopped until
he had caught hold Of the luckless hen
on MagdaIen bridge. Then and there
he solemnly tried to put the bird on
his head.
] Such are q few of the blunders IL
word aud deed that have been attrib-
uted to the "dear old dean" Must we
accept them all as genuinef Not II we
are to believe contributor to M. A.
r.. VINO informed that paper that at q
church congress well known delegate
said TO him:
"Have you ever noticed how spOOner
isms have died out since Canon Liddon
IL no moreY will tell you how 1t Ia.
Liddon and used to make them up
One Of our best which is always at.
tributed to Spooner. u From iceland's
Greasy Mountains.'
Spoonerisms at all events existed be.
fore Spooner himself was born. Some
merit0rious ones may be found In
MOore's Diary. There u the story. for
example. OF an old actor named Parker.
who used always to say the ''cOisoned
pup instead Of the poisoned cup" One
night when he spoke II right the au.
dience said mo. not" and caned for
the other reading. Another actor men
toned In Moore made great bit with
the misquotation:
How sharper than . serpsnts thanks II 10
To have q toothleso child.
John Kemble was one night perform.
ing a favorite part In country thenter
when he was interrupted from time to
lime by the squaIling Of child in the
gallery. At length. angered BY this
rival performance. Kembe walked
with solemn step to the front of the
stage and. addressing the audience In
his most tragic tones. said. Ladies' and
gentlemen, unless the play II stopped
the child cannot possibly so on"
America itself u not without its
Spo0ners and It's consequent spOOner.
isms. There must have been at least
three SpOoners in the western court
where the following scene 10 said to
have taken place:
"How far IL It between these two
townsw asked the lawyer.
"About four miles as the dow cries.
replied the Witness
"You mean as the cry nows."
"No," put In the Judge; he means
as the ny c~ows."
And then they all looked at one an
other. feeling that something was
wrong.
A sort of conscious spoOner,sm was
that brilliant Jest credited TO DeaD
Briggs OF Harvard During the year
when the, slogan ITO nell with yaler'
first became popular among Cam
bridge undergraduates the dean, In
company with DR.. Edward Everett
Hale. was hurrying on bis way to q
great football game between Yale and
Harvard.
"Where are you goingr' asked an
other member OF the faculty.