WILLIAM ARCHIBALD SPOONER - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 10/06/1903 - HFSID 165884

WILLIAM ARCHIBALD SPOONER
William Archibald Spooner wrote this letter from Oxford University's New College in 1903 to give someone leave "to come up on Wednesday but not very well on Tuesday". Spooner is best known for verbal slips called spoonerisms, most of which he never said.
Autograph letter signed "W. A. Spooner -". Lead pencil notations in bottom left corner and blue ink notations on verso in unknown hand. 1 page, 3¾x6, 1 sheet folded. New College, Oxford, England, Oct. 6, 1903. In full: "Dear Oliver, I can give you leave to come up on Wednesday but not very well on Tuesday On Tuesday we try to put up as many people as possible in College who are up for [illegible]. Believe me Your Truly". Spooner (1844-1930) was lecturer at Oxford's New College and an Anglican priest, but the poor guy is primarily known for his verbal gaffes. An absent-minded professor, Spooner reportedly had a tendency to mix up the consonants in his sentences, leading to such timeless gems (called spoonerisms) as "The Lord is a shoving leopard" (loving shepherd), "It is kisstomary to cuss the bride" (kiss the bride), "Let us raise our glasses to the queer old dean" (dear old Queen), "We'll have the hags flung out" (flags hung out) and "You have hissed all my mystery lectures. You have tasted a whole worm. Please leave Oxford on the next town drain." (missed all my history lectures, wasted a whole term, down train). What's worse, Spooner never said most of the spoonerisms attributed to him. Many were made up by students and colleagues, and they soon gained a life of their own. Spooner's frustration over his questionable fame is evident in one of his few verified quotes, spoken at one of his lectures: "You don't want to hear a speech. You just want me to say one of those... things." Lightly toned. Ink transference, which touches body of letter but not signature. Random ink stains. Rounded corners. Adhesive residue on verso (no show-through). Folded once and unfolded. Otherwise in fine condition.