"balderdah and piffle: one sandwich short of a dog's dinner" (because we need the humour)

[niyad]

(oh, look, it's a television programme as well!!)


Balderdash & Piffle: One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner
by Alex Games

Published by BBC Books

Balderdash & Piffle: One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner is also available as:





Synopsis

Balderdash & Piffle: One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner is a thrilling ride through the provocative, bewildering and often downright bizarre world of language and etymology. From the brash jargon of celebrity magazines to the delicacies and feints of the euphemism, author and word-sleuth Alex Games has uncovered the remarkable stories that lie behind some of our best-loved words and expressions.

By grouping words into distinct themes - such as put downs and insults, the vocab of fashionistas and the lingo of dodgy dealings - Balderdash & Piffle looks at the English language in a fresh and revealing light.

Who was the original Jack the Lad? What is the tragic story behind the expression Sweet F.A.? Balderdash & Piffle will show you where thugs come from, why 'barmy' once had more to do with your beer than your brain, and how a little bit of 'hanky-panky' could literally work magic. From the 'Cloud-cuckoo-land' of Aristophanes to the town of Balaclava, this is a funny but rigorously researched account of English words and their origins.

Drawing together sources as diverse as William Shakespeare, David Cameron and the Burnham-on-Sea Gazette, Alex Games recalls the trends, innovations and scandals that have produced some of our most familiar but least explored words and phrases. Accompanying a brand new series of the hit BBC television programme Balderdash & Piffle - and containing all the results of the 'Wordhunt' from the first series -this entertaining book is a treasure trove for English-language lovers everywhere.

http://www.eburypublishing.co.uk/editions/balderdash-piffle-one-sandwich-short-of-a-dogs-dinner/9781846072352

[Laffy Kat]

1. Talked me into it!

Looks like fun. Thanks for posting.

[niyad]

3. you are more than welcome.

[3catwoman3]

2. Oh, this is my kind of book.

I love anything and everything to do with words.

[niyad]

4. you and me both. have you read mary daly's "wicekdary"??

[3catwoman3]

5. I have not.

I will look that up.

Many years ago, 2 books I really enjoyed were by the late Edwin Newman - Strictly Speaking, and A Civil Tongue. Both were about proper language use, which is a passion of mine.

I often wonder if I were an English teacher in a past life.

[niyad]

6. loved them both, as well as "eats, shoots and leaves"

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Vigb9JEGL._SX352_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


In this radical classic, Mary Daly has journeyed through the far reaches of the English language, and beyond, to conjure this delicious web of words. Wickedary sheds a whole new light on the meaning of words (and the meaning of meaning) as it mercilessly exposes the patriarchal house of cards that has become common language usage. Just pull on one and the whole thing comes tumbling down. This is a hilarious, fascinating and essential tool for women word weavers-the real definition of a "Webster" -- From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women; review by Ilene Rosoff


mary daly reads from "wickedary"