contrepèterie

French

Noun

contrepèterie f (plural contrepèteries)

1. spoonerism

Usage notes

Contrepèteries, as a general rule, have a double meaning that is sexually explicit (for example, la fermière sait que sa poule mue 'the farmer knows that her hen is shedding' becomes la fermière sait que sa moule pue 'the farmer knows that her cunt stinks'). Double meanings that are not sexual are often not even considered contrepèteries, unlike English spoonerisms, which do not necessarily have to be vulgar or lewd.

Further reading

• “contrepèterie”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.