16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funny and Informative, January 7, 2009
The Septic's Companion (and, yes, the title of the book does become clear after reading the text) combines a study in brief of the United Kingdom along with a dictionary of translations, which might have been deadly dull if handled by anyone other than Mr. Rae, with his keen, though clearly skewed, sense of humor.
The UK primer in the early portion of the book manages to compress 2,000 years of history and tradition into 30 pages and won't really be suitable if you are gathering material for a thesis, but if you're looking for an entertaining (and peripherally enlightening) view of Great Britain, this is just the ticket.
The bulk of the book is comprised of the translation dictionary, which lists UK words, their US equivalent, a definition and a witty saying. I know that sounds formulaic, but the result is anything but boring (reading a list of words with their definitions; now that would be boring). Throughout the book, Mr. Rae's humor remains fresh and surprising, and, by happy chance, the translations are actually interesting and useful.
Having moved to the UK from the US nearly seven years ago, I thought I had seen (or, at least, heard) it all, but I found myself, every few pages, saying to my English wife, "Do you really call 'Thumb Tacks' 'Drawing Pins,'" to which she would respond, "No, we call 'Drawing Pins' 'Drawing Pins' - why, what do you call them?"
Conversely, it was something of a shock to me to discover how many US words I have let slip, and I felt a tinge of nostalgia as Mr. Rae reminded me that I used to refer to "News Presenters" as "Anchors" and didn't think it odd (or mishear the word as "Wankers").
I can, therefore, recommend this book to Americans living in the UK, as well as to Brits living in the US, or anyone interested in those things that divide us. It won't make you thin, it won't make you rich or give you a better sex life, but it will make you laugh.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun for geeks and everyone else, December 12, 2008
So I'm a bit of a geek who really likes language, and as such, I was excited to check out a dictionary of Britishisms. I was looking forward to etymologies and usage and stuff like that. Once I started reading the book (yes, it can be read), all that was there (most of the time - more in a minute), but the best part of it was simply the author's voice. It's funny, sly, and, well, irreverent sounds a bit poncy, so let's just say you can imagine hearing the definitions at the pub over a pint of lager (which, from the website, has a lot to do with how this book came about...) and having a good laugh.
The definitions themselves are often interesting, with plenty of origins, asides about this or that bit of culture or history, and lots of stuff I hadn't heard despite already knowing a thing or two more about British English than your average bear. Don't expect an exhaustive dictionary, though. As the subtitle suggests, the book is not the unabridged dictionary and you're occasionally left wanting (why, oh why, would saying that someone's cooking is the dog's bollocks be a good thing?). The gaps are small relative to the overall fun level, though.
Overall a very enjoyable read, and good for anyone who enjoys British humor, not just language (or even Brits themselves). Four stars only because I reserve five stars for classics of literature such as
this or
this.
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