Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature Practice Exam

What is a spoonerism?

1. A humorous play on idioms

2. A deliberate alteration of rhymes

3. A verbal error involving sound transposition

4. An intentional use of similar sounding words

The correct answer is: A verbal error involving sound transposition

A spoonerism refers to a specific type of verbal error where the initial sounds or letters of two or more words are swapped, creating a humorous or nonsensical phrase. This phenomenon is named after Reverend William Archibald Spooner, who was noted for making such errors in speech. For example, instead of saying "You have hissed all my mystery lectures," one might mistakenly say "You have missed all my history lectures." The humor and playfulness in spoonerisms arise from the unexpected and often absurd combinations of sounds created through this transposition, which can alter the meaning of the phrases completely. In contrast, the other options focus on different aspects of wordplay or language manipulation that do not encompass the specific nature of spoonerisms. The essence of a spoonerism lies in the sound swap rather than a play on idioms, rhythmic alterations, or the intentional use of similar sounding words without the critical element of sound transposition. Thus, the correct choice accurately identifies the unique nature of spoonerisms as a playful verbal mix-up.