Eileene dropped an honest-to-god spoonerism today: intending to belittle something by describing it as “piddling and wee,†she called it “widdling and pee.†Not only do the spoken but unintentional words have meaning, but a common meaning, although “widdle†is more of a British expression than an American one. Wonderful!
Only in the analytical aftermath does it occur to me that “piddling†and “wee,†in addition to meaning “small,†could also relate to urine. Four words: widdle, wee, piddle, and pee, all on the same subject. I wish Will Shortz could use it for one of his puzzlers, but I suppose it’s too “blue†for Sunday morning radio. Probably inappropriate for GAMES magazine’s Wild Card section, too. Pity.
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