Synopses & Reviews
An irreverent lexicon of the seemingly infinite ways we call bullshit, written by a McSweeney’s columnist and etymologist, illustrated by a New Yorker-contributing cartoonist.
What’s
the difference between “balderdash” and “drivel”? Where did
“mumbo-jumbo” come from? How should you use “meadow mayonnaise”? What’s
“felgercarb” and which popular TV show coined it?
There are
hundreds of common and rare terms for bullshit in English, including
borrowings from German, turn-of-the-century sailors, The Simpsons, and beyond. Bullshit is everywhere, but not all of it is created equal. Mark Peters’s Bullshit: A Lexicon
is the handy guide to identifying and calling BS in all of its many
forms, from “bunk” and “claptrap” to “applesauce” and “gobbledygook.”
Packed with historical facts, pop culture tidbits, and definitions for
each term, Bullshit is perfect for humor readers, language lovers, and anyone looking to describe life’s everyday annoyances.
About the Author
MARK PETERS is a language expert,
humorist, and member of the American Dialect Society. He has a PhD in
English and has published articles about language for Esquire, Forbes, Mental Floss, Slate, Columbia Journalism Review, and Visual Thesaurus, where
he writes the Evasive Maneuvers column about euphemisms. Mark also
writes humor pieces, comedy sketches, and Twitter jokes (@wordlust),
plus the Best Joke Ever column for McSweeney’s and the Laughing Stock blog for Psychology Today.
DREW DERNAVICH is a cartoonist and illustrator who regularly contributes to The New Yorker. His work has been featured in the Boston Globe, Time, and Harvard Business Review.