Rusty Saber: Father of Spoonerisms deserves '21-son galoot'

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.

This Week's Rusty Saber topic was about to be put into words when I heard on the radio that July 22 was the birthday of Rev. William Archibald Spooner. I put my planed column on hold; it can wait another week before seeing the light of day. I can't pass up the 159th birthday of the father of Spoonerisms.

I wrote about Spooner on the 150th anniversary of his birth in 1994. He was a metathephilogist, a Greek word for one who is interested in metathesis, the accidental switching of letters, words or symbols.

An example of this phenomenon was a radio announcer describing a 21-gun salute, as a "21-son galoot." Think of Spoonerisms as kind of verbal dyslexia. My spell-check tells me there is no such word as metathesis. The spell-check is wrong, but because Spooner's name long ago became associated with the usage, the near impossible-to-pronounce Greek word has fallen into disuse.

I presume a writer stealing from himself isn't plagiarism; so, in the 94 column, I said that Spoonerisms and metathesis are the "tame thing," as opposed to "same thing." Another nugget lifted from the '94 column was a newscaster referring to the former President of the United States as "Resident Pagan."

Spooner was born in London in 1844. He was an Anglican priest and scholar, associated for 60 years with Oxford University. He lectured in history, philosophy and divinity; he served as dean and president of the university. A scholar with academic achievements to his credit, he may have preferred to be remembered for something more stimulating than verbal flip flops.

However, if so, it's unlikely that his 159th birthday would be included among those of famous people. I certainly wouldn't be writing about him for the second time.

Several Spoonerisms attributed to Spooner are among the classics. They fall into the golden oldies category occupied by the classic limericks. His flip flops were connected to his teaching and preaching. He once intended to say to an Oxford student with a poor attendance record: "You have missed my history lectures ... you have wasted two terms." The subsequent Spoonerism: "You have hissed my mystery lectures ... you have tasted two worms."

In a sermon, he once concluded, "Our Lord is a shoving leopard," as opposed to a "loving shepherd." Performing a wedding, his intent was to say, "Son, it is customary to kiss the bride." Legend has it that he said, "son it is kistomary to cuss the bride."

It wasn't until reading about his 150th anniversary that I was able to say in the '94 column that I was unaware my all-time favorite Spoonerism was indeed the brain child of the great man himself. Upon finding someone sitting in his personal church pew, Spooner is purported to have said: "I believe you are occupewing my pie. May I sew you to another sheet?" To me, if there were a top 10 list of Spoonerisms, that would make No. 1.

If he were around today, I think he would have at some time referred to the pomp and circumstance surrounding both academic and religious ceremonies as "comp and pircumstance."

If prime rib were served at a formal dinner, is it likely he would have described the main course of prime rib as the "cain mourse of rime pib." Having a fertile imagination, I can visualize Spooner's response to the recognition of his birthday by saying, not "thanks a lot", but rather "anks talot." Anything else would be out of character for the father of grand verbal flip flops.

I'm attracted to Spoonerisms in about the same way as limericks. I can't resist either. The name of the father of limericks is unknown. Ah, but not so with Spoonerisms! To you Rev. Spooner, on the 159th anniversary of your birth, wherever you are, you can appreciate my birthday wish better than anyone else, "Bappy Hirthday, Severend Rooner!"