Here is the complete history of the word still considered one of the most vulgar and offensive in the English language, from its debut in 15th-century England to the present day. Every sense of every word containing f**k is examined, with often hilarious examples from many sources.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Here, in one convenient, comprehensive volume, is the complete story of the word still considered the most vulgar utterance in the English language. You guessed it--it's the F word.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Publisher
"...the first dictionary devoted to a single word, albeit an extraordinarily malleable one."
--New York Magazine
--New York Magazine
"...The F-Word is really a novelty. What makes it so interesting, if not thrilling, to grownups is the sheer volume of its usages..."
--Time
"...hard to read without smiling."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune
"...not for your mother."
--Columbus Dispatch
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Paul Cowan
Format:Paperback
This book is certainly different, if nothing else. It contains a distressingly complete etymology of everyone's favourite word, dating back to the 1600s.
All sorts of phrases containing 'the magic word' are included and referenced, as well as some words of equivalent meaning, some euphemisms for it ('freak', for example), and some great abbreviations (eg 'BUFF').
A great range of sources are used, from James Joyce to Madonna to Usenet erotica newsgroup posts. All serve to illustrate the point that the 'F-word' is one of the more versatile words in our language, and can fit into virtually any situation.
All in all, it's a fascinating and funny read for anyone interested in the English language, and I'm sure it says something that the history of a word such as this is so much more easily documented than probably any other word.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Thanks to ADHD, I have a hard time focusing for any length of time on the written word, but I love reference books and I love the English language. I have numerous lexicons from American Slang, to quotations, scientific dictionaries, etc. This one is not for the kids, but it has come in helpful a number of times.
I used to feel pretty hip, but now that my teen years are far behind me, I no longer know everything - and I am really feeling like an old codger when I hear a new phrase on TV or in a movie I've never heard before.
If someone has remolded the "F-word" into another word or phrase, it's in this little dictionary. Almost an encyclopedia of the F-word. Each entry gives an approximate date of usage (some usages are timeless, and used for over a hundred years, some are over a hundred years old and just aren't used at all. If the phrase or word first showed up in a book or movie, that reference is also given. Examples are cited and the origins of how each word evolved (as appropriate) are also noted.
As needed, a listing will note if it is a colloquialism for an age group, racial group, sexual lifestyle group, etc.
I had no idea what Stevie Wonder's song "Bad Mamma Jamma" meant until reading the definition in this text!
The illustrations are clever, and surprisingly not vulgar, considering what book they are in. This is far more than just a snicker-fest - although you can sit down and read it and giggle here & there, it is truly a reference book for American slang at its worst.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The F Word. . .proves to be a rare item indeed: a comprehensive, vastly eclectic, tongue-in-cheek serious treatment that has to be the first and last word on this world-class Word. For the curious layperson, it will be a source of amazement and information, a good deal of it funny.
As reviewed by Benedict B. Kimmelmann, in the Summer 1996 (Vol. XXIII, No. 1) issue of VERBATIM, The Language Quarterly.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
WHY do we NEED THIS word??
Are we so unintelligent that we must use words like this in our language? Truly intelligent people don't need to use words like this to convey a thought or opinion. Read more
Published on September 17, 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delightful dictionary!
I can't imagine wanting to sit down and read any other dictionary from cover to cover. A fun and informative read that manages to bring scholarly rigor to its slangy subject.
Published on April 8, 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Never thought such a weird book could be so fascinating!
If you're the type who has actually sat reading a dictionary, you'll love this book. I had no idea this word had such a rich history or variety of usage! Read more
Published on April 2, 1999
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible
I was expecting an interesting book about the history of the F word. What I got was a small book that looked like it had been made on a copy machine, and was filled with extremely... Read more
Published on January 11, 1999
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