Depraved English

by Novobatzky, Peter; Shea, Ammon

• ISBN13: 9780312207731
• ISBN10: 0312207735
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-09-04
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary

Fromaboiementtozooerastia, a guided tour of the lantrified underbelly of the English langauage This unusual, un-put-downable little volume collects more than three hundred of the English language's most disgusting, offensive, and obscene words--words that have fallen out of common usage but will no doubt delight, amuse, and in some cases prove surprisingly useful. Who hasn't searched for the right word to describe a colleague'smaschalephidrosis(runaway armpit perspiration), a boss'spleonexia(insane greed), or a buddy'sfumosities(ill-smelling vapors from a drunken person's belches)? Word lovers, chronic insulters,berayers,bescumbers, andbespewersneed feel like tongue-tiedwitlingsno more: Finding the correct,keck-inspiring word just got a whole lot easier.

Author Biography

Peter Novobatzky and Ammon Shea are New York-based word hounds. This is their first book.

Table of Contents

"Depraved English is anything but depraved. Don't believe the title. It's a book on language you can read on subway, bus, and plane--though you have to be ready for surprised looks when you laugh out loud or give little yelps of joy. Your choller will wobble as you pick at your gound and, ever after, flat English will give you an attact of rectalgia. If someone is majoring in English, give him or her this book. Give it to your Randy grandma."--Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis.

"Delicious and disgusting by turns, Depraved English is an invaluable and cleverly worked vade mecum for those millions of us who (a) are fascinated by sex and (b) enjoy insulting people. No intelligent home should be without it."--Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman