The Cunning Linguist: Ribald Riddles, Lascivious Limericks, Carnal Corn, and Other Good, Clean Dirty Fun (Paperback)

~ Richard Lederer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Noted linguist Lederer (Anguished English) has a naughty side, which, combined with his unerring archival instincts, makes this collection of wordplays a bawdily noteworthy achievement. As long as one doesn't overdose on more than two chapters at a time (as the author warns one should not), this book repeatedly rewards the open-minded. How about the "poonerism" (that's what Lederer dubs a dirty spoonerism, or juxtaposition of sounds within a word or sentence) that defines call girls as "the lays of our dives" and a bordello as a "toll-cookie house"? Or the list of limericks and the pun-filled "delectable daughter" jokes? Lederer strives to illuminate the "verbal vivacity of our vocabulary and illustrate one of the most astonishing miracles of language-the ability of two or more meanings to occupy the same space at the same time." Blending the richness of English with the seemingly endless supply of raunchy word tricks, the author takes pride in providing humorous, but never hurtful verbal wit, all in the name of fun and education. After all, "a dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Have some fun with your native tongue!

In The Cunning Linguist, renowned language expert Richard Lederer shows us the naughtier side of wordplay, revealing hundreds of hilarious, ingenious, unabashed, and adults-only puns, jokes, limericks, one-liners, and other adventures in sexual humor. This book of "good, clean dirty fun" will delight word hounds, punsters, bachelor-party goers, and anyone who likes a clever grown-up joke.

Here's a taste of The Cunning Linguist:

Q: What does a man have in his pants that you can also find on a pool table?
A: Pockets.

Have you heard about the incompatible couple?
He had no income, and she wasn't pattable.

The four stages of a couple's sex life:
Under 35: Tri-weekly
35-45: Try weekly
45-55: Try weakly
55 and over: Try, try, try.

For much more, sneak between the covers of this unique and laugh-out-loud book.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (December 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312318138
• ISBN-13: 978-0312318130
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #689,074 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simply Sinfully Punny, February 19, 2004

By	C. S. Stockwell "math person" (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had lots of fun with this book. Mr. Lederer, I blame you for the lost hours of sleep! :-) There are parts of the book that I wouldn't want kids to see, but it's mostly harmless. My favourite is the poem where the last line of each stanza is missing a word which based on the rhyme would be quite risque, but it's a riot when you see what happens at the beginning of the next stanza.

Oh, speaking of risque, if I understand this correctly, this book was previously known as Nothing Risque, Nothing Gained. So if you already have that one, you don't need this one. On the other hand, if you'd been looking for it, this is your chance to get it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only weakness: you've probably heard half of the stuff in here before, February 25, 2007

By	Brian Connors (Cape Cod, MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Let's be honest: Lederer is the man when it comes to wordplay jokes, has been for years. That said, I'm not sure why this book caught me by surprise -- after all, dirty puns are puns too, however awful they are.

I'd be willing to wager at least half of the items in this book have passed through your email inbox at one time or another. The book is sillier than it is sexy, and that's just fine.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming and Delightful but not Groundbreaking, February 27, 2009

By	Sondra M. Blair "Paige's Mommy" (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A truly enjoyable book. Bought it for my 87 year old grandfather who loves wordplay and he has gotten quite a kick out of it. I had to read over it myself before giving it to gramps, and had a lot of fun doing so. However, as another reviewer mentioned, about half of the stuff is not new. So if you're an aficionado you might get a bit bored. I liked re-reading it but I can see how some might be annoyed.