The F-Word: Second Edition (Paperback)

by Jesse Sheidlower (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
There's something special about a lexicon in which more than half the entries begin with the same letter. The F-Word earned its title the hard way: editor Jesse Sheidlower and the staff of Random House combed vast numbers of books, magazines, films, and other works for references to the most beloved, least printable word in the English language and all its variations. There's some great reading here among the hundreds of citations, from the colorful dialogue of Gore Vidal to the military's creative use of intensifiers to boost morale. Of special interest are the acronyms and abbreviations incorporating the Word; after reading the entry for "BUFF," you might think twice before complimenting your gym-going friends.

The care and attention each entry receives makes The F-Word a pleasure to use or browse, whether looking up an obscure phrase from an Iceberg Slim book or finding new insults for your next flame war. Ross MacDonald's illustrations are cute and funny (but not pornographic) and help to defuse some of the tension that might result from exposure to undiluted profanity. The F-Word throws much-needed light on one of the most-used English words; if you want to learn to swear correctly, RTFM--Read the [ahem] Manual. --Rob Lightner

Review
"It's fanf--kingtastic." --Time Out New York

" . . .a great service for the English language." --Seattle Weekly

"Hard to read without smiling." --Minneapolis Star Tribune -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Random House Reference; 2 Sub edition (April 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375706348
• ISBN-13: 978-0375706349
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #884,648 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at a well-worn word., March 24, 1998

By	Paul Cowan (Melbourne, VIC Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The F-Word (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.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Novelty, Esoteric Reference, And Numbing Read, February 23, 2001

By	Sir Charles Panther "Life is hard. It's hard... (Alexandria, Virginny, USandA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

A big huzzah to the courage of Random House for publishing this crass, uncouth, vulgar, disgusting, arguably sexist, yet interesting and entertaining little book. More than anything it's a novelty, a fun thing to keep on your shelf, lend to a buddy, and from which to draw the perfect quote or phrase for your next dinner party with the Royal Family. This being said, one has to recognize the impressive research and work done by editor Scheidlower; it is comprehensive.

Prospective readers need to keep in mind that this is a dictionary, and as such is structured exactly like any other dictionary, with all of the standard formatting and notation. This makes reading this book slow and jerky, ultimately affecting overall enjoyment. Interesting and useful within the individual entries are chronological notations, providing historical information on the origins and evolution of your favorite f-----g phrases.

The foreword by Roy Blount, Jr. provides the book a touch of literati legitimacy, but is ultimately rambling and unfocused. Sure, it's interesting, but he's not saying anything we don't already know.

The book concludes with a far too brief "Guide To The F-Word In Some Other Languages." Inspired concept, extremely poor execution. No, we don't need hundreds of pages exploring f--k in other languages, but if you're going to provide this little goodie, go the extra mile and complete the work. Yeah, German, French, Spanish, Latin, even Esperanto, Hebrew, and Basque are listed, but where are Sicilian, Corsican, Boer, Swahili, etc.? I've just gotta know!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible, January 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The F-Word (Paperback)

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 boring references. I usually enjoy these types of books, but this one was a loser.