Maybe some of you have heard of BBC Radio 4's excellent programme I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. If not, go and have a listen (some of it is on youtube), it is absolutely divine!
Anyway, the whole show is sort of based on wordplay and manipulating language, but they have one section called Uxbridge English Dictionary which is my absolute favourite. In it the panel (Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer and various guests) take any word from the English language and give it a new meaning - sounds fairly straightforward and boring, but I promise you it is hilarious - and extremely clever! Here is an example, featuring one entry from Stephen Fry (he seems to pop up in an awful lot of my posts) that has become somewhat legendary.
The show has been running since 1972, initially with the wonderful late Humphrey Lyttelton as host, now with Jack Dee. Past series are available on CD.
Brilliant. I just checked the programme and had a great laugh. My favourites are: Countryside & Rectitude.
ReplyDeletebtw: do I see a kind of german accent in your writing? Just kiddin'