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Contrepéter: the art of swapping sounds (Irish reboot)

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  • 01-09-2012 7:26am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 9


    Let's share our skills at creating contrepèteries, the ancient French art of swapping sounds on purpose to reveal a secret meaning from an innocent sounding sentence.

    Rules:
    - The swapped sounds must not change the sounding of the rest of the sentence, and must retain their own phonetic value (it must all sound the same, down to the length of the vowels)
    - The pair of swapped sounds must be in the same position in the word (start, middle, or end)
    - The revealed meaning is often osé, or political/topical; it is better if it somehow relates/contrasts with the initial one.

    Examples:
    Based on the recent head-line about Mick Wallace in the Indo:
    Mick Wallace’s balls are off the hook
    Swap the "b" and "h" sounds. (spelling can change, but not sounds!)
    Solution:
    Mick Wallace’s holes are off the book
    Note that this is different from Spoonerisms, which do not always make sense (they often just sound funny) and are not often on purpose (thus sometimes making fun of dyslexia)

    Get started:
    Make your suggestions, but do not give the solution just yet, let others try and guess!
    Then provide the hint, by telling which sounds to swap.
    Avoid writing the "secret sentence" to be revealed as it is often rude and inappropriate :) If you have to: use a spoiler!


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭peckerhead


    Ah, saisons belles qui passent... :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Contrepeter


    peckerhead wrote: »
    Ah, saisons belles qui passent... :pac:

    Nice one, but the Irish twist is to have them in English, or Irish ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Contrepeter


    "Liars freak when they see a nun" ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Contrepeter


    Just realized the original example offered was actually not valid, because the pronunciation of the vowels of "ball" and "whole"!

    A better example would be:
    The pleasures of the bike, can be increased by a string of deeds
    The pleasures of the dike, can be increased by a string of beads


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Contrepeter


    About speakers whose speeches are so rousing, you'd think they must have paid for every page written for them, if not for every word...

    Payment for such a verve has to be paginal
    Hint:
    Swap the "v" and "p" sounds


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,373 ✭✭✭im invisible


    whats the difference between The Coors and a circus?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,373 ✭✭✭im invisible


    What's the difference between a goldfish and a mountain goat?
    One mucks around the fountains...

    ...between a priest and a lady in the bath?
    one has hope in his soul


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Contrepeter


    whats the difference between The Coors and a circus?
    What is it?


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Contrepeter


    Difference between plastic surgeons and Ruairi Quinn/Michael Gove?

    They want to tuck features


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,373 ✭✭✭im invisible


    What is it?
    one is a cunning array of stunts...


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Contrepeter


    Two new ones:
    Joan Rivers’ beach (Solution: http://contrepeter.ie/?p=896)
    I find your food on his list (Can you find the solution yourself?)


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