Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang [Paperback]

Jonathan Bernstein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1841958344 | ISBN-13: 978-1841958347 | Publication Date: October 19, 2006

Brits and Americans dress the same, eat at the same chain restaurants, pass music back and forth across the Atlantic, and our national leaders are practically conjoined twins. But the second the Brits open their mouths, all bets are off. So don’t dream of visiting the UK, dating a Brit, or truly understanding what Jude Law is saying without this handy, hilarious, and informative guide to Britspeak. With the cheekiness of Austin Powers and the tidbit quotient of Schott’s Miscellany, screenwriter Jonathan Bernstein’s collection of Cockney rhyming slang, insults culled from British television shows of yore, and regional and “high British” favorites provides hours of educational, enlightening, even life saving hilarity. And if it doesn’t accomplish that, at least you’ll be aware that when a British citizen describes you as a “wally,” a “herbert,” a “spanner,” or a “bampot,” he’s not showering you with compliments. Knickers in a Twist is as indispensable as a London city guide, as spot-on funny as an episode of The Office, and as edifying as Born to Kvetch and Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Canongate U.S. (October 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841958344
• ISBN-13: 978-1841958347
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Slang & Idioms

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Usefully funny!, October 30, 2006

By 

Martin Edelweiss "M.E." (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang (Paperback)

Fans of Bernstein's Guardian column in the UK will be well-acquainted with his trenchant wit - on brilliant display here, too, as he tackles a potentially unwieldy subject. Where most dictionaries of this type are poorly written and dry as dust, "Knickers" handles both the well-known (e.g. the title) and the obscure (too many examples to list) linguistic peculiarities of the Queen's English with style. A must for Anglophiles and a rare treat for the casual reader and/or traveler.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for just the ol' blue rinsers ..., April 23, 2008

By 

Steffan Piper (Palm Desert, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang (Paperback)

A very well compiled and concise collection of British slang and colloquial expressions that seemingly date back two hundred years. However a good fifty percent are more common to the last forty years and probably another thirty percent are the last fifteen to a close ten. While this tome might be devoid of the more obscure statements like: "Jimmy Hill", no one's going to notice or fault the compilers for it.

This is a good writers reference for anyone on the island or across the pond. Anyone interested in seeking other quality slang reference books can look here:

1. The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

2. The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms

3. Urban Dictionary: Street Slang Defined

4. Depraved and Insulting English

5. The Highly Selective Dictionary For The Extraordinarily Literate

6. The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions

7. How Not To Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms


Got that, Gaffer? Cheers, me old son!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For those who are not familar with British slang, July 9, 2008

By 

Sammi "-Magic is a wonderful thing...To see o... (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang (Paperback)

I am completely, and utterly in love with England, every single aspect of it is lovely. I was surprised that a book on British Slang was out, I went out and bought it the very next day. As soon as I got home I stuffed it into my bag for school the next day. During one class when I had finished my work earlier I decided to open this book up, what a horrible decision! This book was absolutely hilarious! Which was bad since the rest of the class was finishing a test, and I had to leave the room to get rid of my laughter.

Now I use these terms all over the school that leaves other students stare at me with bewilderment. It's great to know terms that others are not familiar with.