Monday, February 12, 2007

The town drain

Spoonerisms - uniquely English. Actually, no. The French have had their own version, known as Contrepèteries, for a lot longer. According to my Petit Robert dictionary, the word dates from 1582, but the example they give, from Rabelais, is even older: "Femme folle à la messe" pour "femme molle à la fesse". The contrepèterie is usually a bit rude. One French favourite, which I've heard from at least two independent sources, is "glisser dans la piscine". Work it out for yourself. It all makes the Revd. Spooner (you have tasted two whole worms, etc) seem a bit, well, Victorian.

Of course there are rude Spoonerisms in English too, but Lowri won't let me repeat them in polite company.

I like the unrude one which the French attribute to the Belgians - their version of an Irish joke - "Il est beau et chaud".

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