Following on from his hit bestseller Balderdash and Piffle 1, Alex Games delves even further into the fascinating, provocative and often astonishing world of language and etymology. From the intoxicating language of celebrity magazines to the shadowy double figure of the euphemism, Games traces the evolution of Greek and Latin wordplay into a sometimes baffling contemporary jargon. Who was Fanny Adams? Why have dogs, previously man s best friend, become an even better friend during an exchange of insults? And when did randy stop meaning aggressive behaviour? Games answers all of these questions and more in a light-hearted, compelling account of words and their meanings. Drawing together sources as diverse as Elvis Presley, Shakespeare and the military, Games fondly recalls the trends, innovations and scandals that have produced some of our most loved and least thought-about words and phrases.

Author Biography

Alex Games wrote the original Balderdash & Piffle which became an instant bestseller on publication in January 2006. He has written for most of the slightly posher newspapers, and in a brief stint as a gadget columnist he was responsible for reviewing some of the most inexpensive items ever to appear in the Financial Times. As well as writing comedy for BBC Radio 1 and 4, Alex has written biographies of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, and Alan Bennett. Victoria Coren is a well-known freelance journalist. She writes weekly columns in the Guardian and the Observer, and she has written two books, Love 16 and Once More With Feeling. She presents Balderdash & Piffle and several televised poker series. Victoria is a keen amateur word-hunter and an avid completer of crosswords, albeit not always with the right answers.