The Cunning Linguist: Ribald Riddles, Lascivious Limericks, Carnal Corn, and Other Good, Clean Dirty Fun - Softcover

Richard Lederer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312318138 ISBN 13: 9780312318130

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 2003

Synopsis

Have some fun with your native tongue!

In The Cunning Linguist, renowned language expert Richard Lederer shows us the naughtier side of wordplay, revealing hundreds of hilarious, ingenious, unabashed, and adults-only puns, jokes, limericks, one-liners, and other adventures in sexual humor. This book of "good, clean dirty fun" will delight word hounds, punsters, bachelor-party goers, and anyone who likes a clever grown-up joke.

Here's a taste of The Cunning Linguist:

Q: What does a man have in his pants that you can also find on a pool table?
A: Pockets.

Have you heard about the incompatible couple?
He had no income, and she wasn't pattable.

The four stages of a couple's sex life:
Under 35: Tri-weekly
35-45: Try weekly
45-55: Try weakly
55 and over: Try, try, try.

For much more, sneak between the covers of this unique and laugh-out-loud book.

About this title

About the Author

Richard Lederer is the author of a shelf of books on language and grammar, including, most recently, The Bride of Anguished English. He cohosts weekly radio program on NPR in San Diego, and speaks throughout the country. He lives in San Diego, California.

Reviews

Noted linguist Lederer (Anguished English) has a naughty side, which, combined with his unerring archival instincts, makes this collection of wordplays a bawdily noteworthy achievement. As long as one doesn't overdose on more than two chapters at a time (as the author warns one should not), this book repeatedly rewards the open-minded. How about the "poonerism" (that's what Lederer dubs a dirty spoonerism, or juxtaposition of sounds within a word or sentence) that defines call girls as "the lays of our dives" and a bordello as a "toll-cookie house"? Or the list of limericks and the pun-filled "delectable daughter" jokes? Lederer strives to illuminate the "verbal vivacity of our vocabulary and illustrate one of the most astonishing miracles of language-the ability of two or more meanings to occupy the same space at the same time." Blending the richness of English with the seemingly endless supply of raunchy word tricks, the author takes pride in providing humorous, but never hurtful verbal wit, all in the name of fun and education. After all, "a dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312318138
• ISBN 13: 9780312318130
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Dave Morice
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 294