Editing Spoonerism (section)

==Usage==
In modern terms, ''spoonerism'' generally refers to any changing of sounds in this manner.

===Comedy===
* The long-running British comedy television show ''[[The Two Ronnies]]'' regularly featured segments with [[Ronnie Barker]] delivering a mock-serious speech littered with spoonerisms, written by Barker.
Writing in tribute for the inaugural [[Ronnie Barker Talk]], [[Ben Elton]] wrote:
<blockquote>
What an honour. I grew up loving Ronnie Barker and can only hope the news that I am to give a talk in his name doesn't leave him spitting spiritedly splenetic spoonerisms in comedy heaven.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 April 2017 |title=Ben Elton to give inaugural BBC comedy lecture The Ronnie Barker Talk |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/ronnie-barker-lecture |access-date=1 April 2024 |website=[[BBC]]}}</ref>
</blockquote>
* The Washington, D.C. political comedy group [[Capitol Steps]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capsteps.com|title=The Capitol Steps – We put the MOCK in Democracy|work=capsteps.com}}</ref> had a long-standing tradition of performing a routine named "Lirty Dies"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capsteps.com/lirty/|title=Capitol Steps – Lirty Dies !|work=capsteps.com}}</ref> during every performance, which features a typically 10-minute-long barrage of rapid-fire topical spoonerisms. A few examples over the years range from "Resident Pagan" (President Reagan) and the US's periodic practice of "Licking their Peaders" (Picking their leaders) to the NSA "poopin' on Snutin" (Snoopin' on Putin) and "phugging everybody's bones" (bugging everybody's phones).
* Comedian [[Jane Ace]] was notorious for her spoonerisms and other similar plays on words during her time as main actress of the radio situation comedy ''[[Easy Aces]]''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4XJQD4O_TkC&q=jane+ace&pg=PA839|title=Encyclopedia of Radio 3-Volume Set|editor-last=Sterling|editor-first=Christopher H.|publisher=Routledge|pages=1696|year=2003|isbn=1-57958-249-4|access-date=1 March 2011}}</ref>

===Literature===
* Comedian F. Chase Taylor was the main actor of the 1930s radio program ''[[Stoopnagle and Budd]]'', in which his character, Colonel Stoopnagle, used spoonerisms. In 1945, he published a book, ''My Tale Is Twisted'', consisting of 44 "spoonerised" versions of well-known children's stories. Subtitled "Wart Pun: Aysop's Feebles" and "Tart Pooh: Tairy and Other Fales," these included such tales as "Beeping Sleauty" for "[[Sleeping Beauty]]". The book was republished in 2001 by Stone and Scott Publishers as ''Stoopnagle's Tale is Twisted''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stoneandscott.com/stoopnagle.asp|title=Stoopnagle's Tale is Twisted, by Ken James|access-date=3 November 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006042511/http://stoneandscott.com/stoopnagle.asp|archive-date=6 October 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* In 2005, [[HarperCollins]] published the late humorist [[Shel Silverstein]]'s ''[[Runny Babbit|Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook]],'' a book about a rabbit whose parents "Dummy and Mad" gave him spoonerized chores, such as having to "Dash the wishes" (for "wash the dishes").<ref name="Rogak">{{citation|title=A Boy Named Shel|last=Rogak|first=Lisa|publisher=[[Thomas Dunne Books]]|year=2007|isbn=978-0-312-35359-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/boynamedshellife00roga}}</ref>
* In his poem "Translation," [[Brian P. Cleary]] describes a boy named Alex who speaks in spoonerisms (like "shook a tower" instead of "took a shower"). Humorously, Cleary leaves the poem's final spoonerism to the reader when he says:
{{Poem quote|He once proclaimed, "Hey, '''belly jeans'''"
When he found a stash of jelly beans.
But when he says he '''pepped in stew'''
We'll tell him he should wipe his shoe.|source=Cleary, Brian P. ''Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry''. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda, 2004.}}
* In ''D. H. Lawrence & Susan his Cow'' (1939), literary critic [[William York Tindall]] described behavioral psychologists as "occupied with nothing more spiritual than pulling habits out of rats".<ref>{{cite book|last=Tindall|first=William|date=1939|title=D. H. Lawrence & Susan his Cow|publisher=Columbia University Press|page=196|url=https://archive.org/details/dhlawrencesusanh0000unse/page/196/mode/1up?q=%22habits+out+of+rats%22|access-date=25 June 2023}}</ref> (This quip is commonly cited to [[Douglas Bush]], who used it in a lecture<ref>{{cite book|last=Bush|first=Douglas|date=1953|editor-last=Smithberger|editor-first=Andrew T.|title=Essays British and American|publisher=Houghton-Mifflin|page=465|chapter=Life, Letters, and Education|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/essaysbritishame0000unse/page/465/mode/1up?q=%22habits+out+of+rats%22|access-date=25 June 2023}} originally given as a lecture at Smith College (Nov 13 1941) and Wellesley College (Dec 2 1941), Massachusetts.</ref> two years later.)

===Crosswords===
Spoonerisms are used in [[Cryptic crossword|cryptic crossword clues]] and use a [[Word play|play on words]], in which the initial sounds or syllables of two words are switched to provide a solution. The clue type is generally indicated by a direct reference to 'Spooner', although more tricky examples might refer to him only as 'Rev', or use such phrases as 'in a manner of speaking', or 'slip of the tongue'. Uniquely, in cryptic crosswords the words used to create the Spoonerism might only be hinted at, not explicitly stated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crosswordunclued.com/2009/04/spoonerisms.html|title=Spoonerisms|last=Shuchi|first=|date=30 April 2009|website=Crossword Unclued|access-date=4 May 2025}}</ref>

Example: ''"Spooner's criminal with nurse finding hiding places."'' (4,3,6)

Solution: NOOK AND CRANNY (Spoonerism of CROOK AND NANNY).

===Music===
* The title of the [[Van der Graaf Generator]]'s album ''[[Pawn Hearts]]'' resulted from a spoonerism by [[David Jackson (musician)|David Jackson]], who said one time: "I'll go down to the studio and dub on some more porn hearts", meaning to say 'horn parts'.<ref>Christopulos, J., and Smart, P.: ''Van der Graaf Generator – The Book'', page 128. Phil and Jim publishers, 2005.</ref>
* American indie rock musician [[Ritt Momney]]'s name is a spoonerism of the name of the American politician [[Mitt Romney]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/music/virtually-famous-ritt-momney-a4561951.html|title=Virtually Famous: Ritt Momney|work=[[Evening Standard]]|access-date=2 October 2020|date=26 November 2020|author=Smyth, David}}</ref>
* American synthwave musician [[Com Truise]]'s name is a spoonerism of the name of American actor [[Tom Cruise]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/qznv|title=Music – Review of Com Truise – Galactic Melt|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=2011-07-05|access-date=2017-07-09}}</ref>
* Estonian [[Electro house#Complextro|complextro]] musician [[Mord Fustang]]'s name is a spoonerism of the well-known [[Ford Mustang]] muscle car.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mordfustang.com/biography|title=Mord Fustang – About|access-date=2021-07-05}}</ref>
* English rapper [[Loyle Carner]]'s stage name is a spoonerism of his [[Double-barrelled name|double-barrelled]] surname Coyle-Larner as well as a reference to his childhood struggle with his [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|ADHD]] and [[dyslexia]] diagnoses.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nme.com/features/loyle-carner-south-london-rappers-album-may-tears-1949521|title=Loyle Carner: Why the South London rapper's album may have you in tears|date=18 January 2017|work=[[NME]]|access-date=17 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/adhd-isnt-my-disorder-its-more-like-my-superpower/|title=ADHD Isn't My Disorder, It's More Like My Superpower|last=Bassil|first=Ryan|date=20 May 2016|website=[[Noisey]]|publisher=[[Vice Media|Vice]]|access-date=2 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="cooking">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/17/loyle-carner-life-on-a-plate-adhd-cooking-meditation-ottolenghi|title=Loyle Carner: 'I grew up with ADHD, and for me cooking is close to meditation'|last=Hind|first=John|date=17 November 2018|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=2 October 2019}}</ref>
* American [[mathcore]] band [[The Callous Daoboys]] is a spoonerism of the [[Dallas Cowboys]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://idioteq.com/interview-carson-pace-of-2022-mathcore-sensation-the-callous-daoboys/|title=Interview: Carson Pace of 2022 Mathcore Sensation The Callous Daoboys|date=28 February 2023|access-date=19 September 2023}}</ref>
* Dutch electronic musician [[San Holo]]'s name is a spoonerism of the ''[[Star Wars]]'' character [[Han Solo]]. This led [[Walt Disney Pictures]] to send a [[cease and desist]] letter for [[copyright infringement]] with potential penalty estimated between $5 million and $10 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-18 |title=San Holo is Ready For the Next Episode |url=https://hypebeast.com/2018/3/san-holo-interview |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Hypebeast}}</ref>
* American [[thrash metal]] band [[Metallica]] released a live concert DVD in 1998, titled ''[[Cunning Stunts (video)|Cunning Stunts]]'', with it being meant as a spoonerism for "stunning cunts".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-16 |title=Metallica: Cunning Stunts(1998)- DIRECTED BY: Wayne Isham |url= https://letterboxd.com/film/metallica-cunning-stunts/ |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=Letterboxd}}</ref>
* American hip-hop artist [[Tyler, the Creator]]'s [[Streetwear|street-wear]] brand, [[Golf Wang]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=GOLF WANG |url=https://golfwang.com |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Golf Wang |language=en}}</ref> is a spoonerism of LA hip-hop [[Musical collective|music collective]] "[[Odd Future|Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All]]", which he was a former member of.
* Indie musician [https://www.youtube.com/@ChonnyJash Chonny Jash]'s name is a spoonerism of American singer-songwriter [[Johnny Cash]].

===Radio===
On the 3 December 1950 episode of ''[[The Jack Benny Program]],'' Jack mentions that he ran into his butler Rochester while in his car that was on a grease rack. Mary Livingston was supposed to say "How could you run into him on a grease rack?" but flubbed her line with "How could you run into him on a grass reek?" The audience laughed so much that Jack was unable to reply as the show ran out of time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cleanslatefilms.com/PopCultureConnection/?p=33|title=Jack Benny's "Grass Reek" Punch Line Discovered After 65 Years|publisher=cleanslatefilms.com|date=19 March 2015|accessdate=15 June 2021}}</ref>

===False etymology===
Spoonerisms are used sometimes in [[False etymology|false etymologies]]. For example, according to linguist [[Ghil'ad Zuckermann]], some wrongly believe that the English word ''[[butterfly]]'' derives from '''{{em|fl}}utter {{em|b}}y'''.<ref name="language">[[Ghil'ad Zuckermann|Zuckermann, Ghil'ad]] (2003), [[Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew]]. [[Palgrave Macmillan]]. {{ISBN|9781403917232}} / {{ISBN|9781403938695}} [http://www.palgrave.com/br/book/9781403917232]</ref>{{rp|p.78}}