Where did the word spoonerism come from?

The word "spoonerism" comes from William Archibald Spooner, an English clergyman and scholar who was known for his tendency to transpose the initial sounds of words.

He is credited with a number of famous examples, such as:

* "A blushing crow" instead of "A crushing blow"

* "You have hissed all my mystery lectures" instead of "You have missed all my history lectures"

While Spooner himself likely never coined the term, it was popularized in the early 20th century to describe the type of verbal slip-up he was known for. The first known use of the word "spoonerism" in print dates back to 1909.