What is a Feghoot?

[Guest guest]

Feghoot? What the heck is that? Feghoots are Fun in

the Pun!

S. Joan Popek

Ferdinand Feghoot made his debut in the " Magazine of

Fantasy and Science Fiction " as the star of the

series, " Through Time and Space with Ferdinand

Feghoot " for years. Ferdinad was brought to life by

Reginald Bretnor (1911-1992) under the pen name,

Grendel Briarton. These short-short science fiction

stories all ended with a pun. Hence, short stories

ending with a PUNchline, became known as Feghoots.

Okay, that's the history. So what are they really? A

true Feghoot is typically a science fiction

short-short story under usually around 300 words but

can be stretched to about 500 or so ending in a funny

pun that elicits a chuckle or a groan from the reader.

They have been referred to as " shaggy dog " stories and

(for obvious reasons) " groaners. " You know the type.

Feghoots are the kind of stories you hear at the bar

as you giggle into your martini. Over the years, the

genre has faded, and today a Feghoot doesn't

necessarily have to be science fiction.

Mark Rapacioli, Editor of PLANET RELISH E-ZINE says,

" A Feghoot isn't just a short-short story with a joke

at the end. A Feghoot is a short-short story that ends

in a very groan-worthy pun. "

A Feghoot is a complete story though, not just a joke.

Like flash fiction, it must have a plot (however

thin), characters, a beginning, middle and end, and

the ideal Feghoot will give clues during the story

that make guessing the punch line more fun. One of the

most famous puns is attributed to Dorothy when

during a word challenge, she was given the word

" horticulture " and challenged to turn it into a

phrase. She blurted, " You can lead a horticulture, but

you can't make her think. "

Feghoots are stories ending in puns which are

frequently Spooneristic, but not always. You can use

" the switch, " (turning a well known phrase or proverb

into a pun) not a Spoonerism. " Okay, Ms. Smarty

Pants. " you might think. " So what does Spooneristic

mean? "

Reverend Archibald Spooner(1844-1930)who

taught at Oxford University often inadvertently mixed

up his words and phrases. The name " Spoonerism " came

from his last name. One of the most famous examples of

his twisted tongue was when he toasted the Queen

during a Royal visit. Raising his glass, he said, " To

our queer old Dean " That's a Spoonerism!

To make an intentional Spoonerism, you interchange the

two sounds from the beginning of two different

words/syllables like " Jelly Beans " could become " Belly

Jeans " (okay, I'm reaching here, folks, but you get

the idea). When you exchange the sounds, if you are

writing them, you would spell the new word correctly.

For instance, Isaac Asimov loved puns, and one of his

best (in my opinion) is, " A Niche in time saves

Stein. " This Feghoot is a great example of Spoonerism

& the pun combined. Notice how the spelling of

" stitch " and " Nine " are corrected from the original " A

stitch in time saves nine " adage. You can also make a

Spooner with one word that has two or more syllables,

but that's a lot tougher.

So, now that you have been bored silly with my

explanation of what a Feghoot is, the burning question

is, " Can you write one? " (There is a method to my

madness--boring you silly is a trick to shift your

mind into punster mode, and hopefully it drove you to

the liquor cabinet for a refill to even more enhance

your creative abilities for this little challenge.)

Feghoots challenge your vocabulary and help you learn

to make every word count in your writing just like

flash fiction does because of the word limits

> > " They won't even shed their boots

> > For a guy who love feghoots "

> >

> >>From a guy who IS a " feghoot " -- just what are you

> thinking when you

> > post stuff like that, Bill? Do you think your

> humor trumps common

> > sense? This is a public forum; that means A LOT

> of people WHO ARE NOT

> > ALL LIKE YOU read this.

> >

> > I am so pissed off at you for your smartass

> bullshit I can't even

> > think straight (HAA HAA HAA EVEN A FEGHOOT CAN

> MAKE JOKES).

> >

> > I have to seriously rethink participating in this

> forum. I don't feel

> > particularly " welcome " anymore. Thanks, Bill, for

> opening my eyes.

> >

> > Why don't you moderate.

> >

> > Dirk

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Please visit the Zapper homepage at

> > http://www.ZapLife.org

> >