Spooner Camouflage

For a crossword setter, spoonerisms are extremely hard to hide – the telltale indicator "Spooner" gives the game away. A direct reference to Reverend Spooner, to whom this wordplay device owes its name, cannot be avoided in this clue type.

And so the wily setter uses a different ruse to confuse the solver. Since the word "Spooner" in a clue primes the solver to think of the spoonerism clue type,  the setter turns that expectation on its head by placing the word in clues that do not contain spoonerisms.

Enjoy a few examples of "Spooner" used in deceptive ways.

Times 24992: Spooner's helping in hospital circles, to make us well (3,6) ___ __R___

Times 24894: Spooner’s confused about one term for an insidious killer (8) _O______

Guardian 25962 (Boatman): Spooner's starting to say joints are a problem with cold (6) _N____

A puzzle by Radler on Alberich's site, in which Across clues employ the word "Spooner" in a variety of devices.

Related Posts:

• Of Anagrams and Whodunits
• &Lit Clues That Do Not Deceive
• When Setter is not THAT Setter
• Unusual Positions for Clue Definition

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