Balderdash & piffle

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Balderdash and Piffle looks into words and phrases, their origins and usage and how they have developed over time. The beginnings of speech - who spoke first and what did they say? How are words connected to thought, how does irony add meaning to words. What are people's favourite words? Dr Johnson's dictionary was 250 years old in 2005. Why did he write it, how has it inspired all subsequent works? In more depth, the book will look into the origins of the alphabet, the story of print and typography. New words, new usages, turns of phrase and outstanding phrases will be discussed as will local and global lingo. The more recent popular culture phenomenon and its effect on language will also be explored.