- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Portico (23 Aug 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1906032068
- ISBN-13: 978-1906032067
- Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.7 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 429,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Simon Hoggart, The Guardian
"A very amusing book. Or, possibly, an evilly musing buck"
Product Description
Linguistic mistakes. We all make them. And if your name is George W Bush or Jade Goody, you might make them more often than others. In "The Ants are My Friends" (delightfully misheard from Bob Dylan's "Blowing in the Wind") Martin Toseland has collected the very best (and very worst) linguistic gifts of the gaffe. The catergories features include: Malapropisms (named after Mrs Malaprop in Sheridan's "The Rivals" where the wrong word pops out to bizarre results); Eggcorns (where a new word is created from misheard real one - the name comes from someone misunderstanding 'acorn' as 'eggcorn', as it has the same shape); Bushisms (the humour in which cannot be misunderestimated); and Mondegreens or misheard lyrics, which include such classic examples as: Who Ya Gonna Call, Gus Foster ("Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Junior); Last Night I Dreamed of Some Bagels ("La Isla Bonita" by Madonna); Sparing His Life For His Mum's Sausages ("Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen); It's a Fruit, Fruit Samba ("Cruel Summer" by Bananarama); and, Mr Tangerine Man ("Mr Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan). A literary Colemanballs, "The Ants are My Friends" has all the makings of a quirky Christmas hit - The Meaning of Tingo for 2007?
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My friend Chris was convinced for most of his life that Otis Redding's famous song '(Sittin' on the) Dock of the Bay' was actually about sitting on the top of a train. This is what this book is all about, misheard song lyrics being just the tip of the iceberg. There are words that come out wrong - but FEEL right! - which are called 'eggcorns' these days, apparently. Finally, there are words used incorrectly, malapropisms, like 'pineapple' when you mean 'pinnacle' and so on.
If only this was more original, I would have given it five stars. As it is, we already have Gavin Edwards's brilliantly illustrated series of books of misheard song lyrics (mondegreens) including Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly, He's Got the Whole World in his Pants etc. True, this goes further, but we've already seen a lot of it (and, frankly, 'You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman' is more amusingly misheard as 'You Make Me Feel Like a Rash on a Woman' than this book's rather dull 'You Make Me Feel Like a Man and a Woman').
That said, this is very funny, ideal reading matter for the 'smallest room' and does at least record Jade Goody's contribution to the English language. I can't believe I just wrote that last sentence.
If only this was more original, I would have given it five stars. As it is, we already have Gavin Edwards's brilliantly illustrated series of books of misheard song lyrics (mondegreens) including Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly, He's Got the Whole World in his Pants etc. True, this goes further, but we've already seen a lot of it (and, frankly, 'You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman' is more amusingly misheard as 'You Make Me Feel Like a Rash on a Woman' than this book's rather dull 'You Make Me Feel Like a Man and a Woman').
That said, this is very funny, ideal reading matter for the 'smallest room' and does at least record Jade Goody's contribution to the English language. I can't believe I just wrote that last sentence.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
What a fantastic present idea for those hard to buy for friends and relatives!
This is a fun book which will keep you amused for hours - and allows you to smugly correct your friends when they drunkenly sing the wrong lyrics yet again.!!!!
Although, be warned, once you have read some of these misheard lyrics,your favourite song may never sound the same again.
A great stocking filler and as the book clearly says "Deck the hall with Buddy Holly!!!"
This is a fun book which will keep you amused for hours - and allows you to smugly correct your friends when they drunkenly sing the wrong lyrics yet again.!!!!
Although, be warned, once you have read some of these misheard lyrics,your favourite song may never sound the same again.
A great stocking filler and as the book clearly says "Deck the hall with Buddy Holly!!!"
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a lovely light-hearted, easy-to-read book. which if you ever misheard the words of a song, will have you in stitches!
Great bathroom reading, as you can dip in & out of it randomly.
Great bathroom reading, as you can dip in & out of it randomly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great stocking filler
Very funny, especially if you sing the words too, had us rolling around in laughter (that may have been the singing as much as the words). Ideal for a 'game' too! Good buy
Published 5 months ago by Redpixy
The Ants Are My Friends
Not quite as good as expected, but entertaining nonetheless.
Perfect to give as a present.
Perfect to give as a present.
Published on 22 Mar 2010 by Mrs. Frances Holm
laugh out loud
Having spent years trying to work out various song lyrics I thought this was a must to have. This was my favourite part but it is all good entertainment. Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2010 by Mrs. Patricia Briggs
Who you gonna call? Gus Foster.
Overall very amusing, with a few laugh out loud moments. This is one for dipping into rather a continuous read. Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2007 by Mr. R. Williams
Listmania!
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