Crossword Genius

Queer old dean, say, breaking no promises (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

spoonerism

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'queer old dean' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't see how they can define each other.

'breaking no promises' is the wordplay.
'breaking' indicates an anagram.
'no'+'promises'='nopromises'
'nopromises' anagrammed gives 'SPOONERISM'.

'say' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for spoonerism that I've seen before include "Verbal exchange of leading characters" , "Regular announcement by old clergyman" , "A slip of the tongue? -- no promises (anag)" , "Burly chassis for Shirley Bassey, say?" , "occasional cluing technique" .)

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.