The Cunning Linguist: Ribald Riddles, Lascivious Limericks, Carnal Corn, and Other Good, Clean Dirty Fun [Paperback]

I really do like Richard Lederer's The Cunning Linguist: Ribald Riddles, Lascivious Limericks, Carnal Corn, and Other Good, Clean Dirty Fun. I like it well enough that I'm now on my third copy of this book since it was released in 2003, since one "disappeared" and another was loaned. It's not the author's best book, but this witty offering from the original verbivore is right up there with the rest of his collective works.

While attending Haverford College as a pre-med student years ago, Lederer soon discovered that he was more interested in language, and he switched his major to English (a good things for all of us). Going on to Harvard Law School, he discovered that he was even more interested in the language itself than in the law cases which he was reading. He switched to a Master of Arts and Teaching program at Harvard, and that lead to a teaching career in Concord, New Hampshire.

Lederer earned a Ph.D in English and Linguistics at the University of New Hampshire, and was inspired to write books on language, starting with Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language. This was followed by More Anguished English: An Expose of Embarrassing Excruciating, and Egregious Errors in English, and then by Fractured English: A Pleasury of Bloopers and Blunders, Fluffs and Flubs, and Gaffes and Goofs.

The popularity of these book and and the subsequent titles motivated him to leave his teaching position and pursue further writing and speaking opportunities... and we gained from reading his books on word play, language bloopers, puns and his frequent use of the oxymoron. Dr. Lederer is known as a "verbivore," a word that he coined in the 1980s. His interests include pointing out common grammatical errors and fallacies, uncovering word origins, and exploring palindromes, anagrams, and other forms of recreational wordplay.

Lederer shows us the naughtier side of wordplay in The Cunning Linguist. Must admit that we've all probably heard many of the entries here, either by e-mail, fax or by word. That doesn't make them any less funny, or often punny. At least now we have hundreds of pages of clever grown-up jokes, limericks and adults-only puns in a single volume. There are enough examples that can't be posted here, but being a computer geek, have always enjoyed the entry entitled "Field Replaceable Mouse Balls" that appears on page 100, and refers to an IBM internal memo from the '90s:

"Mouse balls are now available as a field-replaceable unit. If a mouse fails to operate, or should perform erratically, it may be in need of a ball replacement. Because of the delicate nature of this procedure, replacement of mouse balls should only be attempted by properly trained personnel.

Before proceeding, determine the type of mouse balls by examining the underside of the mouse. Domestic balls will be larger and harder than foreign balls. Ball removal procedures differ depending upon manufacturer of the mouse.

Foreign balls can be replaced using the pop-off method, and domestic balls replaced using the twist-off method. Mouse balls are not usually static sensitive. However, excessive handling can result in sudden discharge. Upon completion of ball replacement, the mouse may be used immediately.

It is recommended that each replacer have a pair of spare balls for maintaining optimum customer satisfaction, and that any customer missing his balls should suspect local personnel of removing these necessary items."

As the author says, this book is "300 pages of good, clean, dirty word play for appreciative punographers." I fully agree.