Morecock Fartwell Hoare

There’s a baby born every minute and each one has to be named. In this book, you’ll find an insanity of nomenclature that beggars belief. Russell Ash has trawled birth, marriage, and death certificates, phone books, and censuses going back centuries to compile a compendium of breathtakingly unlikely-but-true names. Why on earth would Mr. and Mrs. O’Shea name their son Rick? What were the Fants thinking when they named their child Elle? Or Mr. and Mrs. Royd, for that matter, when naming their daughter Emma? Or how about Everard Cock, Page Turner, or Sally Forth? In this painstakingly researched, utterly true, riotously entertaining collection, readers will discover real-life examples of some of the most unusual, crude, and shocking names ever, presenting a laugh-out-loud overview of eccentricity through the ages.

Frou-Frou Mallett Extravaganza Tomkyns-Grafton Maniac Keene Reckless Baker If there's one thing guaranteed to make a child shrink into their seat during registration - it's a stupid name. Unfortunately for kids across the world, parents keeping making crimes against nomenclature. Fortunately for us, Russell Ash keeps collecting them. The perfect gift book for expectant parents, FROU-FROU, FRISBY & BRICK is a helpful guide to the sorts of names, or name combinations, to avoid at all costs.

Almost everyone swears, or worries about not swearing, from the two year-old who has just discovered the power of potty mouth to the grandma who wonders why every other word she hears is obscene. Whether they express anger or exhilaration, are meant to insult or to commend, swear words perform a crucial role in language. But swearing is also a uniquely well-suited lens through which to look at history, offering a fascinating record of what people care about on the deepest levels of a culture--what's divine, what's terrifying, and what's taboo. Holy Sh*t tells the story of two kinds of swearing--obscenities and oaths--from ancient Rome and the Bible to today. With humor and insight, Melissa Mohr takes readers on a journey to discover how "swearing" has come to include both testifying with your hand on the Bible and calling someone a *#$&!* when they cut you off on the highway. She explores obscenities in ancient Rome--which were remarkably similar to our own--and unearths the history of religious oaths in the Middle Ages, when swearing (or not swearing) an oath was often a matter of life and death. Holy Sh*t also explains the advancement of civility and corresponding censorship of language in the 18th century, considers the rise of racial slurs after World War II, examines the physiological effects of swearing (increased heart rate and greater pain tolerance), and answers a question that preoccupies the FCC, the US Senate, and anyone who has recently overheard little kids at a playground: are we swearing more now than people did in the past? A gem of lexicography and cultural history, Holy Sh*t is a serious exploration of obscenity--and it also just might expand your repertoire of words to choose from the next time you shut your finger in the car door.

'Such was Catherine Morland at ten. At fifteen appearances were mending; she began to curl her hair and long for balls...' (Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey) 'Will it jerk me off?' (Margaret Thatcher, inspecting a field gun in the Falklands) 'You know, animals are very psychic. I mean, the least sign of danger and my pussy's hair stands on end' (Mrs Slocombe, Are You Being Served?) From the unwittingly filthy, to the gleefully subversive, double entendres have been making us laugh for centuries. In this hilarious survey, Russell Ash uncovers some of history's dirtiest double meanings. From the smut lurking between the polished lines of literature's most revered writers, to the public innuendo accidents that have tripped up even the most respected of politicians, right through to the sly innuendo that has characterized some of our best-loved comedies, IT JUST SLIPPED OUT has it all.

This is an illustrated book of lists, a mix of facts and trivia on areas of human achievement and the natural world.

Do you know which of the twelve animal signs you are? Or how the "animal that hides in your heart" influences your outlook on life? What happens in your chart when your Eastern moon sign meets your Western sun sign? The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes answers these questions and more. For forty years, The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes has remained the classic book on the topic, artfully combining the Eastern lunar calendar with Western, solar-based astrology. You'll discover how the five elements, four seasons, and the ascendant sign based on the hour of your birth can affect your personality. Read about the 144 relationship combinations to better understand the compatibility of the twelve lunar signs. This revised edition will delight seasoned astrologers and interested novices alike.

The New York Times Best Seller "[Hope Never Dies is] an escapist fantasy that will likely appeal to liberals pining for the previous administration, longing for the Obama-Biden team to emerge from political retirement as action heroes."—Alexandra Alter, New York Times Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama team up in this high-stakes thriller that combines a mystery worthy of Watson and Holmes with the laugh-out-loud bromantic chemistry of Lethal Weapon’s Murtaugh and Riggs. Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted: the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America’s opioid epidemic. Part noir thriller and part bromance, Hope Never Dies is essentially the first published work of Obama/Biden fiction—and a cathartic read for anyone distressed by the current state of affairs.

Family historians depend upon thousands of people unknown to them. They exchange research with others; copy information from books and databases; and write libraries, societies, and government offices. At times they even hire professionals to do legwork in distant areas and trust strangers to solve important problems. But how can a researcher be assured that he or she is producing or receiving reliable results? This official manual from the Board of Certification for Genealogists provides a standard by which all genealogists can pattern their work.

Young, arrogant tycoon Earl Grey seduces the naïve coed Anna Steal with his overpowering good looks and staggering amounts of money, but will she be able to get past his fifty shames, including shopping at Walmart on Saturdays, bondage with handcuffs, and his love of BDSM (Bards, Dragons, Sorcery, and Magick)? Or will his dark secrets and constant smirking drive her over the edge?

Who knew fighting for a living wage could be so deadly? Bernie Sanders and his Gen Z intern are drawn into a murder investigation in a small Vermont town in this hilarious spin on cozy mysteries from the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery. Fall is bursting out all over Vermont, and while the rest of the Congress enjoys its recess, Senator Bernie Sanders has returned to his beloved home state for a weekend of events in Eagle Creek, “America’s #1 Leaf Peeping Destination.” It’s up to intern and Eagle Creek native Crash Robertson to keep the senator on schedule—and out of trouble. Crash’s hopes for a quiet homecoming are dashed, however, when the lifeless body of a community banker with ties to “Big Maple” is found in Lake Champlain. While the sheriff’s department closes the case as an accident, a leaked autopsy indicates foul play…with a trail of syrup leading directly to one of the senator’s oldest friends. Bernie, taking a page from the cozy mysteries he’s addicted to, enlists Crash in a quest to uncover the killer’s true identity. If Crash allows the senator to go too far off-script, it will be the end of her yet-to-begin political career. But as the suspect list grows to include a tech bro set on “disrupting” the maple syrup industry, struggling small-business owners, and even Crash’s own family, she realizes there’s more on the line than her own future. If the unlikely duo can’t solve the mystery of the Maple Murderer before they strike again, Bernie’s life-long fight for justice may come to an unplanned end. This (totally fictional!) mystery also features recipes from Eagle Creek’s Vermont Country Shed, including Vermont Cheddar Mac & Cheese, “Feel the Bern!” Maple Sriracha Hot Sauce, and more!