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English as a Second F*cking Language: How to Swear Effectively, Explained in Detail with Numerous Examples Taken From Everyday Life (Paperback)

by Sterling Johnson (Author) "Fuck is the mother of all words..." (more)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

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"Great f*cking book!" --Stephen King
-- Review

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"Great f*cking book!" --Stephen King

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Product Details

Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1 edition (June 15, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031214329X
ISBN-13: 978-0312143299
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.4 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,053 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Fuck is the mother of all words. Read the first page

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 2 books:

Opus Pistorum by Henry Miller in Front Matter
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Phoenix 60p paperbacks) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge on page 17

2 books cite this book:

Skin Flutes and Velvet Gloves: A Collection of Facts and Fancies, Legends and Oddities About the Body's Private Parts by Terri Hamilton in Back Matter
Skin Flutes & Velvet Gloves: A Collection of Facts and Fancies, Legends and Oddities About the Body's Private Parts by Dr. Terri Hamilton in Back Matter

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Cassell's Dictionary of Slang by Jonathon Green

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	59% buy the item featured on this page: English as a Second F*cking Language: How to Swear Effectively, Explained in Detail with Numerous Examples Taken From Everyday Life 4.1 out of 5 stars (33) $7.95
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Customer Reviews

33 Reviews

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh your a** off., July 12, 2001

By	Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Betwixt FL and CA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Be prepared to laugh and ride the humorous wave with Sterling Johnson.

In the 1970's, George Carlin cited seven words that would never appear on TV, but time and theatrical productions have changed their acceptability. Unfortunately, I cannot list them in this review because they would not be suitable, but they are listed on page 8 of this book.

Cable TV followed the lead when they began showing these R+ rated movies. Language that was not conventional when Carlin clarified what the "bad" words were is now common in conversations.

His and Hers, Hands on experience, Tips and Traps are just a few of the sections that provide alternate words for different body parts and actions. Throughout the book, Johnson gives examples through dialogue. The goal is to help the newcomer with a way to understand what f*ck and other derivatives mean, and which ones are fighting words.

Writers will find this book is a clear definition of how to write true to life dialogue for today's market.

I was expecting a different outlook than definitions of "bad" words, so I was somewhat disappointed. However, this is a valuable resource that is well written and funny.

Victoria Tarrani

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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for a foreign person, February 4, 1999

By A Customer

If you are not a native English speaker - and want to *really* understand what these f*cking Americans are talking about - this book is a must-read

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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched, Interesting and Hilarious, December 3, 1999

By	Greko (Sao Paulo, Brazil) - See all my reviews

I definately recommend this comprehensive little book for people interested in real-life obscenities. It has in-depth historical and etymological info' they would never imaginge and is presented in tasteful style with wonderful examples.

As the title suggests, this book is excellent for foreigners. But native speakers of English love it too.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth all your money
When a friend saw the book, she said: forget the Bible and forget any other text book, grammar book, etc. This should be taught instead. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Mircea Corneliu Florea

3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly entertaining, but the tongue-in-cheek grows old
The tongue-in-cheek approach that they take to the book is slightly entertaining, but the this grows old. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Daniel Craig

3.0 out of 5 stars Amusing
I didn't really pay attention to the title of this book when purchasing. While it's amusing, funny, and informative it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Read more

Published 10 months ago by John C. Hutchison

1.0 out of 5 stars Save Your Time
Pubescent boys will find the book humorous. This old coot, however, finds it contrived and something of an insult to the fine art of profane conversation.

Published 12 months ago by J. A. Burrus

5.0 out of 5 stars Great F*cking Book
I have a few friends who can put the lessons from this book to good f*cking use. They don't f*cking know how to f*cking swear properly, Their choice of epithets is for s*it. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Alan W. Wexler

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
one of the best books out there to read. very usefull and insightful

Published on January 9, 2007 by Steven Honig

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Book - Good Reference for Non Native English Speakers
This is a book which has a funny approach on everyday language. Words and sentences that once seemed to have no sense at all are now explained. Read more

Published on January 3, 2007 by H. D. Espinosa

2.0 out of 5 stars Funny but very short
This book is less than one hundred pages, in large print, with an odd page size. In other words, it's more a pamphlet than a book. Read more

Published on December 23, 2006 by Patrick Harris

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn how to swear
Well... at least you know what it means when others are swearing ;)

Published on August 24, 2005 by G. Tam

3.0 out of 5 stars not for ESL
I bought this book to help some of my ESL students to understand how/when to use American swear words.....however, it is definitely not a good reference in that sense. Read more

Published on February 3, 2005 by M. Ervin

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