Spoonerism and Malapropism...
Author :
Amogh
Blog :The Passive Observer
Date: 12/11/2011 3:20:00 PM
Well a while back I was talking to this person and noticed that although this gentleman considered himself an authority on Classic Literature and the English language in general made a very stupid mistake of confusing two very similar terms: Spoonerism and Malapropism (Ironic Ain't it)!
Anyway, I choose to hold my silence and amusement over concern of offending him but it got me thinking seriously how many people would know the difference?
So here I am putting things into better perspective for the few people who read my blog..
The term malapropism comes from Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals, and in particular the character Mrs. Malaprop. Sheridan presumably named his character Mrs. Malaprop, who frequently misspoke (to great comic effect), in joking reference to the word malapropos.
( Something I didn't know was that this term is also referred to as Dogberryism , named after the character Dog Berry from Much Ado About Nothing)
A malapropism is an act of misusing or the habitual misuse of similar sounding words.
Example:
"Sure, if I reprehend any thing in this world it is the use of my oracular tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!" (i.e. comprehend, vernacular, arrangement, epithets) -quote Mrs. Malprop
Pointer: The word or phrase that is used means something different from the word the speaker or writer intended to use and sounds similar to the word that was apparently intended.
A spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants or vowels are switched (see metathesis). It is named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner who was rather prone to this tendency.
Examples:
"Three cheers for our queer old dean!" (dear old queen)
"The Lord is a shoving leopard." (a loving shepherd)
So, well hope that clears things out..for well everyone who happens to read this
-Amogh Out!