or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
42 used & new from £0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Balderdash and Piffle: One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Balderdash and Piffle: One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner (Hardcover)

by Alex Games (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £6.28 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.71 (37%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, November 18? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
26 new from £4.19 16 used from £0.01
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff by Judy Parkinson

Balderdash and Piffle: One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner + I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff
Price For Both: £11.37

Show availability and delivery details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Balderdash and Piffle

Balderdash and Piffle

by Alex Games
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £8.43
Kick the Bucket and Swing the Cat: The Complete "Balderdash & Piffle" Collection of English Words, and Their Curious Origins

Kick the Bucket and Swing the Cat: The Complete "Balderdash & Piffle" Collection of English Words, and Their Curious Origins

by Alex Games
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £6.48
I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff

I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff

by Judy Parkinson
4.4 out of 5 stars (17)  £5.09
Great Email Disasters

Great Email Disasters

by Chas Newkey-Burden
3.3 out of 5 stars (3)  £4.51
Lost In Translation: Misadventures in English Abroad

Lost In Translation: Misadventures in English Abroad

by Charlie Croker
4.3 out of 5 stars (14)  £3.46
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: BBC Books (5 April 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1846072352
  • ISBN-13: 978-1846072352
  • Product Dimensions: 18.4 x 13 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 9,308 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #5 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Linguistics > Historical & Comparative Linguistics > Etymology

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Product Description

"Balderdash and Piffle: "One Sandwich Short of a Dogs 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 and 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 and 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 and Piffle" - and containing all the results of the "Worldhunt" from the first series - this entertaining book is a treasure trove for English-language lovers everywhere.


From the Publisher

The stories behind our most intriguing words and phrases
See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Balderdash and Piffle: One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner
78% buy the item featured on this page:
Balderdash and Piffle: One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£6.28
Kick the Bucket and Swing the Cat: The Complete "Balderdash & Piffle" Collection of English Words, and Their Curious Origins
11% buy
Kick the Bucket and Swing the Cat: The Complete "Balderdash & Piffle" Collection of English Words, and Their Curious Origins 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£6.48
Balderdash and Piffle
7% buy
Balderdash and Piffle 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£8.43
Lost In Translation: Misadventures in English Abroad
3% buy
Lost In Translation: Misadventures in English Abroad 4.3 out of 5 stars (14)
£3.46
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

1 Review
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Feast of Wordy Delights, 25 May 2007
By K. Lomax (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Such a modest little book, but ignore the self effacing title - this is a real corker, jammed full of insights into our language. Always thought provoking, informative and entertaining, the book joyfully skips between the erudite and the everyday. The section on "muffin top" had me weeping fat tears of laughter on a crowded commuter train, while the chapter on madness provides a thought provoking exploration of the knots we tie ourselves into when discussing the issue and details the surprising clinical origins of terms like idiot and moron.

Unlike other books that claim to explore word histories, Balderdash & Piffle - One Sandwich Short of a Dog's Dinner is thoroughly researched and does not rely on spurious theories or folk etymologies, the real journeys that our words have taken are fascinating enough in their own right. And like the BBC series it accompanies, the thematic layout reveals how we reveal our greatest loves, fears and embarrassments through our language we use.

Packed with hilarious cartoons that fit the book's quirky style, this book would make a delightful present but you'll want a copy for yourself too. I highly recommend.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject















i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.