h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Pretty interesting source of info. and sensitively constructed, even with a little humour! Good [and important] to know correct origins of swear words and interesting to see how assumed meanings which can almost seem obvious to lead to incorrect use, which will create a mutation, and therefore an accepted new so, coincidental meaning. eg A.F.U.

It would be good to make use of correcting the take the mick, micky or michael to the more correct original take the miculation. Sounds much more sophisticated in an interesting way in my opinion.

Personally I think there is too much swearing nowadays, especially too much use of ars*hol* and the f word.

Comments:

1. Seems to be a major omission: no reference to tur*.

2. It would be much easier to follow the blue references at the bottom if they were numbered also within the text.

Conclusion:

Thanks BBC. Still would like to know the origin of *urd.

Apology: actually the references are numbered, I confused them with blue text links.

Thanks for reading and thanks for writing.

I am sceptical about your definition for Taking the Mick, but that is just because I am a sceptical person. Give me a statistic and I prod it, ask it where it was at 11.00pm on Saturday night, pull its eyelid down to see if it's anaemic and run a police check for speeding fines. But I have been thinking about it for a couple of days, and find myself wondering if you are right.

My aunt rather unkindly gave me a plate with the word 'tuit' printed on it so that I would never again be able to say "when I get a round to it" (geddit?) but I palmed it off on the guy I'm going out with, so that's ok.

However, I am aware that there is a longish list of additions and corrections to be made to this entry, and taking the mick will go on the list when I ... um ... have the time and energy to do it.

Turds on the other hand I am not so sure about. It is a list of swear-words, not a list of words for poo, so it's outside the scope of the entry. I've not heard people use 'turd' in any context other than decribing lumps of excrement. I could be wrong though.

Once again, thanks for reading, thanks for writing.

Ben

You need to watch South Park. It's the babysitter's favourite insult. But I agree, it's not really a swearword. Just to be extra-helpful though, the OED lists is as being of germanic origin, coming from the word 'tord'.

Well, if it's in Southpark it's part of the tv-geist, so it ought to go in.

I guess I really ought to watch Southpark.

B

I did once hear someone call another person a 'turd knocker', but I'm not entirely sure what they meant by it...

I am now thinking of different scenarios - someone who is disrespectful about turds? - someone who uses dried turds to knock on doors? - ?

*bangs side of head*

*gets back to work*

A 'turd knocker' is the same as a 'turd burglar', ie a derogatory term for a homosexual man.


Well you did ask...

That makes sense, I suppose.

There are times when my own stupidity worries me.

B

Mine too, given that I've heard both the phrase 'fart knocker' and 'turd burglar'. You think I'd be able to put two and two together. And make a spit-roast, presumably.

No, spit-roasting is something slightly different...

Well, if you've got two fart-knockers and two turd-burglars, then you've only got one spare.

Is this getting needlessly complex?

Possibly, yes.

Someone did once send me a link to a Goatse video that involved three arms and one 'fudge tunnel'. But he's something of a special case I believe.

Is that special, or 'special'?

Who's Goatse? At the moment I'm assuming that his skills are like Linda Lovelace's but - um - more fundamental.

B

Er...

Crikey, you're *foul-mouthed*! The lot of ya!

It's all in the name of Research and the betterment of the Guide, honest Guv.