1001 INSULTS PUT-DOWNS & COMEB [Hardcover]

Steven D. Price (Editor)

Book Description

Series: 1001 | Publication Date: October 1, 2005

"The stupid person's idea of a clever person."--Elizabeth Bowen on Aldous Huxley

"That insolent little ruffian, that crapulous lout. When he quitted a sofa, he left behind him a smear."--Norman Cameron on Dylan Thomas

An insult can be bad-mannered, offensive, and infuriating, but every one of us has surely had one of those moments when we just wish we had thought of a good one. Unlike most of us, however, there are those who always seem to have the perfect comeback. 1001 Insults, Put-Downs, and Comebacks gathers together the very sharpest of these barbs from a wide variety of sources, with some of the wickedest put-downs from the literary, political, and entertainment worlds, along with many others, including:

-"A large shaggy dog unchained scouring the beaches of the world and baying at the moon."--Robert Louis Stevenson on Walt Whitman
-"The triumph of sugar over diabetes."--George Nathan on J. M. Barrie
-"He was another one that was a complete fizzle . . . Pierce didn't know what was going on, and even if he had, he wouldn't have known what to do about it."--Harry Truman on Franklin Pierce
-"He is such an infernal liar."--Ulysses Grant on Andrew Johnson
-"Just the omission of Jane Austen's books alone would make a fairly good library out of a library that hadn't a book in it."--Mark Twain
-"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."--Groucho Marx
-"Every time I look at you I get a fierce desire to be lonesome."--Oscar Levant

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Devilishly funny..." --Journal Inquirer

From the Back Cover

An insult can be offensive and infuriating, but we’ve all had those moments where we just wish we had come up with a good one. Even better, having the
perfect comeback to one of these rude remarks brings us all the personal
satisfaction in the world. 1001 Insults, Put-downs, & Comebacks gathers together the very sharpest of these barbs from a wide variety of sources with some of the wickedest put-downs from the literary, political, and entertainment worlds, along with many others, including:

“He has become the oldest living cute boy in the world.”
—Anna Quindlen on Paul McCartney

“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.”—Groucho Marx

“When you go to the mind reader, do you get half price?”—David Letterman

Clare Booth Luce stood aside and gestured Dorothy Parker to precede her through a door, saying “Age before beauty.” Parker swept on, saying only
“Pearls before swine.”

“George Steinbrenner is the center of evil in the universe.”
—Ben Affleck on the New York Yankees owner

 

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 335 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; First Printing edition (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592287972
• ISBN-13: 978-1592287970
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,435,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but not quite what I was hoping for....., April 21, 2008

By 

Yours Truly (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1001 Insults, Put-Downs, & Comebacks (Paperback)

If you're looking for a great many witty insults, put-downs, and comebacks that you yourself can use, this is not necessarily the book. Rather, it's a book that includes interesting insults or put-downs by mostly famous people throughout history which are directed at other famous people and which are very specific in their uses; hence, they won't be so easily adopted by the rest of us.

In short, there are a few ready-to-use comebacks included in this book, but the others are for entertainment purposes mostly and are not necessarily intended to be recycled.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "You guys would be out of your depth in a parking lot puddle.", October 8, 2007

By 

J. Guild (Toronto,Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1001 Insults, Put-Downs, & Comebacks (Paperback)

As a big fan of One-Liners;I've got to tell you ;this book is simply awesome!!
Steven has assembled some of the best from over the years and many that are very current. To prove the point,we get this one about someone who is about as current as you can get."This is one Hilton that should be closed for renovation." Mr.Blackell on Paris Hilton. Then we go way back to Shakespeare and from ,All's Well That Ends Well,"He's a most notable coward,an infinite and endless liar,an hourly promise breaker,the owner of not one good quality."
Another great thing about this collection is that it gives both the originator as well as the receiver of the insult;such as,"When you talk to him,he looks at you and grins and grins and nods and nods and appears to be the world's greatest listener,until you realize he is not listening at all."-Latty King on Willie Nelson.
Politics and History provide pleanty of material,such as;"What makes him think a middle-aged actor,who's played with a chimp,could have a future in politics?"--Ronald Reagan on Clint Eastwood's Carmel,California,mayoral bid.
Then from Show Business we get "It's a new low for actresses when you have to wonder what's between her ears instead of between her legs."-Katherine Hepburn on Sharon Stone.
Sports is also loaded with one-liners .Here's a couple; "One's a born liar,and the other's been convicted."-Billy Martin on New York Yankee superstar Reggie Jackson and owner George Steinbrenner. And; "A lot of people are using two-piece cues nowadays.Alex Higgins hasn't got one because they don't come with instructions."-Steve Davis on snooker world champion,Alex Higgins.
This collection will entertain you for hours,a great book for throne musings,and a great resource for responses at any occasion.
I love it!!!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just remember that these sharp-tongued digs should not be repeated aloud unless one is ready for the repercussions!, July 12, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1001 Insults, Put-Downs, & Comebacks (Paperback)

1001 Insults, Put-Downs & Comebacks lives up to its title; herein are some of the nastiest, most creative, and effective character attacks and snappy retorts, gathered from a smorgasbord of sources in literature, entertainment, and politics. Compiled by Steven D. Price, a native of New York City (a land of the cutting-edge insult if ever there was), 1001 Insults, Put-Downs & Comebacks makes a great gag gift and is sure to bring smiles and chuckles aplenty. Just remember that its sharp-tongued digs should not be repeated aloud unless one is ready for the repercussions of an all-out insult war!