Sunday, July 22nd: And a half-warmed fish for you too; today is
SPOONER’S DAY. Today celebrates the man famous for the slip of
the tongue, Reverend William Archibald Spooner. Born in London,
July 22, 1844, Dr. Spooner was a scholarly and prominent figure
of the time. He was warden of New College, Oxford from
1903-1924. Here we are, eighty years after his death (August 29,
1930) finding a reason to celebrate from Dr. Spooner’s slip-of-
the-tongues. His frequent mishaps with the spoken word led to
the term spoonerism to describe them. Some of his slips gave us
blushing crow (for crushing blow), tons of soil (for sons of
toil), queer old dean (for dear old queen), swell foop (for fell
swoop) and half-warmed fish (for half-formed wish). So, off to
celebrate, and mind your words today.