Today, I am back on the topic of the English Language.
A Friends, in English, have you ever heard a term called SPOONERISMS? The meaning of which is “ In a sentence, there is a deliberate swap of where the initial consonants or sounds of two words are switched.
1 You have hissed all my mystery lectures ( please notice the sound of hiss and mys- the actual sentence is ‘You have missed all my history lectures’)
2 The Lord is shoving leopard ( actually it is- The Lord is loving shepherd)
3 It is kisstomary to cuss the bride ( customary to kiss the bride).
4 Tease my ears (Ease my tears)
5 Fighting a liar (lighting a fire).
6 A blushing crow ( A crushing blow).
7 Three cheers for our queer old dean (dear old queen)
8 The weight of rages (the rate of wages).
9 You were spoiled by well-boiled icicle ( well oiled bicycle).
10 Go shake a tower ( take a shower)
11 Better nate than lever ( late than never).
12 I am a sock croft ( I am a crock soft).
13 A lack of pies ( a pack of lies).
14 Is the bean dizzy? ( Is the dean busy?)
15 A belly jean ( a jelly bean).
16 You have very mad banners ( very bad manners)
17 Cattle ships and bruises ( battleships and bruises).
18 My zips are lipped (my lips are zipped)
19 Please sew me to my sheet ( Please show me to my seat)
20 He is half-warmed fish ( half-formed wish)
21 It is roaring with pain (pouring with rain)
22 We will have navel string ( we will have stable ring)
23 Our tons of soil ( sons of toil)
24 Tool the foilet paper ( fool the toilet paper)
25 He is born fighter ( he is foreign biter)
26 Stop nicking your pose (picking your nose)
27 You are fighting a liar again (lighting a fire again)
28 This isn’t my sack of hint ( hack of scent )
29 I’m pit lickle (bit pickle)
30 Our shoving leopard is baking a sheep ( our loving shepherd — )
B Next, there are some things which you see in the daily life, but may not be aware what they are actually called
1 Aglet– The small plastic or metal sheath at the end of shoelace.
2 Petrichor– The pleasant smell that comes after rain.
3 Philtrum– The verticle groove between your nose and upper lip.
4 Lunule– The crescent-shaped white area at the base of your fingernail.
5 Glabella– The space between your eyebrows.
6 Purlicue– The space between your thumb and index finger.
7 Columella nasi-The tissue that separates the nostrils at the base of nose.
8 Rasceta– The creases on the inside of your wrist.
9 Zarf– The sleeve on coffee cup to keep your fingers from burning.
10 Ferrule– The metal part at the end of pencil that holds the eraser.
11 Tittle– The dot above letters i and j.
12 Limerence– The state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person.
13 Nurdle– A tiny dab of toothpaste.
14 Defenestration– The act of throwing something(or someone out of window.
15 Brannock device– The metal tool used to measure your feet at a store.
C In English there are certain words, when they are said in plural forms their meaning changes.
1 The word Drug is associated with medicine, but when it becomes Drugs, it meaning changes like-“He is in habit of taking drugs, means he is addicted to drugs like cocaine and other similar drugs”.
2 The word Iron is associated with metal, but when it Irons it might means chain tied on the feet of criminals.
3 The word Air is well known word, but when it becomes Airs, its meaning changes to like when someone who is showing arrogance, it is then said he is showing Airs.
4 The meaning of word Advice is well known, but when it become Advices, the meaning changes to like “ someone is sending notifications to many people in the group or sending information to many people”.
5 The meaning of Good is known to all, but Goods is related to material things like “ Goods are being transported”.
6 The word Wood is known to all, but when it becomes Woods it is referred to forest.
7 The word Way is related to path, bit word Ways means the procedure of doing some thing.
8 The word Fruit is known to everyone, but when it turns to Fruits the meaning changes to results of something done.
9 The word Ground is related to earth or dharti (in Hindi) but Grounds is related to reasons like “ These are grounds for his dismissal”.
10 The word Quarter means 1/4th of anything, but Quarters is related to place of staying ,like Government quarters.
There will be many more such words whose plural form means something else than original meaning. Friends, if you know some such words please do inform me.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
21st July 2025