THE LAPSES OF SPEECH 121 



slips require, as do the more pronounced lapses of conduct, some illu- 

 mination from the introspective side. 



Whether we are speaking, or are reading aloud from the printed 

 page, or are copying, or are engaged in original writing, we are likely 

 to find that which is about to enter the motor field anticipating its 

 utterance: for between feeling and willing, there emerges between 

 filling; expert persons becomes expersons; a lecturer alludes to the 

 tropic of Cancercorn; in public reading, the beautiful is as useful is 

 rendered the buseful; in writing pieces of machinery, the pen writes 

 pieches. So also in German: Sturm und Drang becomes Strang; one 

 intending to say Nach Innsbruck aus Munchen says Nach Minnsbruck; 

 so also Minuster fur Kultur und Unterricht; Es war riiir auf der 

 Brust so schwer emerges as Es war mir auf der Schwert; and (with the 

 slip immediately noticed and corrected), Die Sympather . . . die 

 Japaner sind mir viel sympathischer. So with persistence of words 

 or fragments thereof: With revelation in mind, the speaker actually 

 said, Those who believe in evolution think that revolution; and we 

 meet with refinement and gentlement {gentleness) ; secluded retruts 

 (retreats); Die Psalmen sind Producte der jiidischen Muse (Muse). 

 Slips of anticipation are naturally more frequent than those of per- 

 sistence, for the reason that the margin that is qualifying for con- 

 sciousness is naturally closer to our concern than that which is dis- 

 missed or dismissible; and, perhaps still more naturally do both appear 

 at once, thus producing interchanges of the threads of utterance. 

 Portar and mestle; in one sivell foop; dame, leaf and blind; sody and 

 boul; Phosford's acid Eorsephate; go out on the corch to pool; make 

 a noyful joise — these hardly need interpretation, as execution reveals 

 intent. Somewhat more divorced from meaning, yet intelligible, are, 

 Are you strailing out for your mole 1 ? (strolling out for your mail); 

 which he whiches (wishes); the water the wetter (the wetter the 

 water); flutter by (butterfly). Put the tray on the weights; going 

 to the coal to buy the wharf; set your leg on four chairs, are simple in 

 formula; but I bought three dollars for i" bought my dress for three 

 dollars; collooding for colliding in the loop; put plustard for put 

 mustard and flour in the plaster, are clear only after the intention is 

 revealed. The German offers parallel models: Die Milo von Venus; 

 ~Wertlaut (Lautwert) ; Einen Zuck Enter (Einen Eut Zucker); Ich 

 verganz gass (Ich vergass ganz) ; Zwecktischer Prak (praktischer 

 Zweck) ; Tapps und Schnabak (Schnapps und Tabak). 



There are still more complex cases in which various of these factors 

 and others combine to give the substituted expression more misleading 

 similarity to the proper one. When the perverted phrase is meaning- 

 less and sounds strange to the ear, we are quite likely, though by no 



