Depraved and Insulting English [Paperback]

Peter Novobatzky (Author), Ammon Shea (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 14, 2002 | Series: Harvest Book

Originally published as two distinct collections, Depraved and Insulting English brings to light the language's most offensive and obscene words--words that have fallen out of today's lexicon but will no doubt delight, amuse, and in some cases prove surprisingly useful. Who hasn't searched for the right word to describe a colleague's maschalephidrosis (runaway armpit perspiration) or a boss's pleonexia (insane greed)? And what better way is there to insult the scombroid landlord (resembling a mackerel) or that tumbrel of a brother-in-law (a person who is drunk to the point of vomiting) than by calling him by his rightful name?

A compact compendium of ingenious words for anyone who's been tongue-tied, flabbergasted, or dumbfounded, Depraved and Insulting English supplies the appropriate vocabulary for any occasion. Word lovers, chronic insulters, berayers, bescumbers, and bespewers need fear no more--finding the correct word to wow your friends or silence your enemies just got a whole lot easier.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A merger has taken place between Peter Novobatzky and Ammon Shea's books Depraved English and Insulting English. The result? Depraved and Insulting English. "Some of the entries are lascivious," the authors say, "some revolting, and others derogatory. A few are all of these things." This book will provide blissful browsing for anyone who ever got a fourth-grade thrill from looking up naughty words in the dictionary or, later, felt a frisson of pleasure from using obscure but racy words that few others understood. Many of the terms here--such as coprolagnia, cypripareunia, hybristophiliac, peotillomian, and sacofricosis--sound downright illicit. More intriguing are the words that sound perfectly acceptable, like blissom, feist, and plooky. But watch out for the plooky fellow who lets out a feist when he blissoms; he's actually a pimply guy who farts silently while copulating with ewes. Eeew. --Jane Steinberg

From Publishers Weekly

Peter Novobatzky and Ammon Shea, the gleefully naughty authors of Depraved English and Insulting English, combine their two guides to the puerile side of our popular tongue into one salty volume, efficiently titled Depraved and Insulting English. Sure, the words mome, limberham, encopresis are good, but what's better are the authors' usage examples, which demonstrate a mischievous exuberance. Explaining a particularly intense form of voyeurism, the authors write: "Being struck suddenly blind would have taxed any man, but for Mr. Bigelow, with his acute scopophilia, it smacked of divine vengeance."
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; 1 edition (August 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156011492
• ISBN-13: 978-0156011495
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Slang & Idioms

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect light reading for the linguistic connoisseur March 24, 2004

By Susan Howson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I received this as a gift and have since bought it for others. Is truly as it describes itself - a reference book that you can start reading at any page.

The only problem is that you find yourself reading too much at a time, and the definitions will stick as memorable, but the words don't. Often at work I have really wanted to call someone "an odor resulting from the belching of an intoxicated person" but the specific word escaped me. Read slowly and try to use a word a day to get the most out of this book.

The gems of this book are the words that sound so dirty but actually have very appropriate meanings. Example: Who wouldn't get upset when called a "pricklouse"? Me, because I know it just means "tailor".

This is a perfect gift for the word (or insult) enthusiast who has everything.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny and, at times.... useful! March 2, 2003

By James

Format:Paperback

Though I wished this book was a little more organized (beyond simple alphabetizing), I still found it most useful. Great vocabulary to have, especially when you want to let someone have a peice of your mind but don't actually want them to hear you... but you kind of do... but don't... you know the situation.. this book is the key to solving that paradox! So the next time that jobberknowle takes 11 items to the 10-items-or-less isle at the grocery store and starts to pay with a check, you'll find yourself speaking to him/her on terms they aren't familiar with!! Ever been around people who spoke a different language than you, and you knew they were saying something about you but you didn't know what? ...now it's time to level the playing field!! This book is written all in fun, and reads like a book even though it is in dictionary format. You'll definitely get a kick out of it. Some words in the book aren't fully detailed enough to understand, and others are downright useless, but overall this book is a fun read... I do think 10 bucks is a bit steep though... buy it used!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars impulse shopping October 3, 2002

By Michael O

Format:Paperback

I was standing at a bookstore's special orders desk, waiting and I picked up this little volume. I was stunned. My laughter flowed like water in Niagra. I've used several of the lovely words, with friends and associates. Last night at my poker game I gave a small educational lecture about the english language, and made sure to keep my drink next to me - so with my compatriots newfound knowledge, they would not find a moment to leint my beer. I recommend this book to anyone that find's language interesting and/or useful.