Well, yes, it’s dishwasher. A spoonerism. According to dictionary definitions William Archibald Spooner, a Victorian clergyman, was of a nervous disposition, but often had to speak to audiences. He frequently transposed the first letters of words and spoonerism entered the language around 1900.
I must have been loading or emptying the dishwasher and as often happens with me, spoonerisms pop into my mind. Once, long ago, in a boy scout ‘Gang show’, one of our number told the story of Rindecella who slopped her dripper and had problems with the pransome hince and the sigly usters!! This has stayed with me ever since and spoonerisms often come to mind.
Some I like are crooks and nannies, tons of soil and a more modern one, Not Poodle.
Now quite why the Wishdosher eventually had problems with giving or ‘doshing’ out wishes and why he faced challenges with some children, I’m not sure. The ideas developed after a while.
It seemed right that if you conjured up the Wishdosher, he had to give you three wishes and if the three wishes weren’t all used straight away, he had to wait around until they were.
My teenage son found a large piece of Corkscrew Hazel on the local playing fields and brought it home and this became the Wishdosher’s wand. How it went on to be broken, leaving the Wishdosher and the children at the mercy of the Grey Fairies, I’m not sure, but it did, as stories often do.
After I started writing, I realised that it had all started with Karen, the youngest child, who at 5 years old, sometimes muddled up her letters. Saying thinger instead of finger or lellow instead of yellow is quite common and it doesn’t really matter. Children often get their letters muddled and they grow out of it, but when Karen called the dishwasher, the wishdosher, it did matter.
I completed a first draft a long time ago, but other things intervened and I’m only now rewriting it. Maybe it’ll be finishing soon and it can be added to my list of stories that are awaiting publication.
Wheanmile, I’d better bash away at my bee kord until it’s done. I can hear Karen calling me. She wants me to get the Wishdosher done NOW! And she’s said it three times and stamped her foot. Oh gy moodness, Will the Wishdosher grant me three wishes and what shall I wish for?
Yes, well, hmmmmm! Here’s an update to my update. I have completed The Wishdosher. It’s on my list to be published.