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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.

Dawn French is one of the greatest comedy actresses of our time, with a career that has spanned nearly three decades, encompassing a vast and brilliant array of characters. Loved for her irreverent humour, Dawn has achieved massive mainstream success while continuing to push boundaries and challenge stereotypes. Here, in her autobiography, she describes the twists and turns of the journey that would eventually establish her as a, perhaps unlikely - but nevertheless genuine, national treasure. Dawn began her career as part of the ground breaking alternative comedy group, the Comic Strip, marking a radical departure from the more traditional comedy acts of the time. Then, later came the all-female Girls On Top, which teamed Dawn with Jennifer Saunders, Ruby Wax and Tracy Ullman and firmly established women in British comedy. As part of the wildly successful and much-loved duo French and Saunders, Dawn helped create a repertoire of brilliantly observed characters, parodying popular culture and impersonating everything from Madonna and Harry Potter to "The Exorcist". Dawn's more recent role in the "Vicar of Dibley" again has showcased not only her talent, but also her ability to take a controversial and topical issue and make it mainstream - and very funny. From her early years as an RAF child and her flat-sharing antics with Jennifer Saunders, to her outspoken views on sizism and her marriage to Lenny Henry, Dear Fatty chronicles the extraordinary, hilarious rise of a complex, dynamic and unstoppable woman.

Do you know someone who is incensed by compulsory tipping? Who is infuriated if kept on hold for more than a minute? Who is positively apoplectic if someone answers their phone during dinner? If so, you've probably encountered the phenomenon of the grumpy old man. Following their first massively successful BBC1 series, this autumn will see the grumpy old men will return to our screens, and this time they're grumpier than ever. Packed with funny and informative chapters such as 'Who are we', 'What are we grumpy about' and 'How can you spot the signs of grumpiness coming on', this book will leave even the grumpiest of men with a grin on his face.

To everything there is a season. A time to be born, a time to die... and a time to get a few things off your chest. The sequel to Grumpy Old Men: The Official Handbook covers a year in the sad and sordid life of a Grumpy Old Man, sorting into dates and seasons the many and manifold bloody irritations which multiply in this perpetual torment that we call modern living. Yes, it?s a daily chronicle of life for the terminally irritable; an almanac of angst. If you know, live with, tolerate or - God forbid, ARE - a Grumpy Old Man, this is essential reading.

To everything there is a season. A time to be born, a time to die and a time to have a bloody good moan. Following the huge success of Grumpy Old Men, Stuart Prebble, writer of the highly acclaimed TV series, gives us a more in-depth look at what its really like to be a pissed-off man of a certain age.In painstaking detail, he takes us through a year in the constantly irritated life of a Grumpy Old Man, recounting the manifold vexations and absurdities he has to put up with in the perpetual torment that we call modern living. Drinks parties, holidays, hospital visits, his childrens misdemeanours, buying presents for the wife, watching television, attempts to visit the gym, trips to the shops, the trials and tribulations of everyday life each event has something to tip him over the edge. Stuarts diary proves that grumpiness is not just an occasional mood or a temporary feeling, but a way of looking at the world, and will strike a chord with all those who are proud to call themselves Grumpy Old Men.

We all know what it means these days to be a 'grumpy old man', because part of that role is to be outspoken. Well, we've heard just about enough out of the men, thank you very much. Grumpy Old Women gives us the other perspective - the female take, - on the million irritations of today's world. So what's the difference? Surely what is irritating to the mature members of one sex is equally annoying to the other? Not necessarily, and this is precisely what Grumpy Old Women seeks to address. Body image, visitors, children, animals, shopping, careers, parties, holidays - and yes, grumpy old men themselves - all are very much on the list of what's mature woman finds a source of concern. From the series producer and stand-up comic Judith Holder, the book will also incorporate material from the new series Grumpy Old Women, which features a diverse, colourful and very grumpy group of celebrities, including Janet Street Porter, Jenny Eclair, Ann Widdecombe, Germaine Greer, Kathryn Flett and Jilly Cooper. Written with wit, style and sympathy, the book is sure to be a source of both amusement and comfort to women everywhere - grumpy, old or otherwise.

We all know what it means these days to be a ''grumpy old man,'' because part of that role is to be outspoken. Well, we've heard just about enough out of the men, thank you very much. Grumpy Old Women gives us the other perspective - the female take - on the million irritations of today's world. So what's the difference? Surely what is irritating to the mature members of one sex is equally annoying to the other? Not necessarily, and this is precisely what Grumpy Old Women seeks to address. Body image, visitors, children, animals, shopping, careers, parties, holidays - and yes, grumpy old men themselves - all are very much on the list of what today's mature woman finds...a source of concern. From the series producer and stand-up comic Judith Holder, the book will also incorporate material from the new series Grumpy Old Women, which features a diverse, colourful and very grumpy group of celebrities, including Janet Street Porter, Jenny clair, Ann Widdecombe, Germaine Greer, Kathryn Flett and Jilly Cooper. Written with wit, style and sympathy, the book is sure to be a source of both amusement and comfort to women everywhere - grumpy, old or otherwise.

With more than 25 series under its belt "Have I Got News For You" is Britain's most successful satirical TV show and, with six million viewers, it's also the BBC's highest rated comedy quiz show. Now you can relive the highs and the lots of the previous year from a uniquely "Have I Got News For You" perspective. In this comic tour round the "Have I Got News For You" universe, you'll meet the politicians who suffered at the merciless tongue of Ian Hislop, or the hapless celebrities bewildered by Paul Merton's surreal ramblings. Plus you can play along with a selection of Odd Ones Out, Caption competitions and Guess the Headlines, and savour the scathing satire of the guest presenters. For the first time ever discover the secret lyrics to the theme tune, try your hand at deciphering the "Have I Got News For You" coat of arms and find out what the people listed in the end credits actually do all day.

Written together with friend and journalist Boyd Hilton, "Inside Little Britain" follows a year in the lives of Matt Lucas and David Walliams - the good, the bad, the mundane and the monumental - a year that includes at its core a mammoth nine-month Spinal Tap-esque tour where Little Britain goes in search of Great Britain. This is a milestone book that offers an unrivalled close-up of a classic British comedy act, as it happens, at the height of its powers. But it is also a journey back into their pasts, reflecting on just how they got from there to here. It covers their childhoods, family life and early comedy performances as they found their feet; their complex friendship and working relationship; and the increasingly insane world they now inhabit. Mixing memoir and travelogue to paint an engrossing portrait of fame and comic genius, "Inside Little Britain" is an unmissable, candid window on life inside the celebrity bubble in all its glamour and awfulness.

North of Watford (and west of Reading, for that matter) there exists a part of the country that rarely gets a look-in from our London-centric national media. Three-quarters of the country, in fact. And yet it's London, London, London... all they ever hear is London! Well, London and the South.The royals, the Olympic bid, film premieres, overcrowding at Heathrow, union problems on the Underground, something provocative at the Tate Modern, Congestion Charging, and Bridget bloody Jones. Surely there's a balance to be redressed here? A light-hearted and humorous look at what it's really like outside the M25, It's Grim Up North will be an education of sorts, divided into sections easy for Southerners to digest: Food, Weather, Culture and Money.Did you know it's warmer in the Tyne Valley than in the Thames Valley? No? Typical! The author, like rest the series contributors, is from the North, and she's got a thing or two to say about life in ''the Provinces''.

Kick the Bucket and Swing the Cat: The Complete "Balderdash & Piffle" Collection of English Words, and Their Curious Origins

Viewers of "Life on Mars" could be forgiven for thinking that the police force of the 1970's lived by the maxim 'The rules are: there are no rules', yet it turns out that this was not the case. A fascinating historical document has now emerged which shows that there were indeed rules and in 1973 they were recorded on paper by none other than DCI Gene Hunt himself. Divided into ten sections, "The Rules of Modern Policing - 1973 Edition" covers everything from interrogating suspects and undercover operations to driving and dress code. Several of the rules are illustrated with diagrams, and photographs of DCI Hunt himself illustrating the more physical parts of the job: how to hit suspects so you don't leave a mark; how to signal the importance of your arrival by crashing into inanimate objects (cardboard boxes are a perfect example here - lots of noise; no damage to your motor); how to roll over the bonnet of your cortina without making a fool of yourself.Completing the book is an invaluable glossary of police terms, covering everything from blag to lag, and nonce to ponce. An essential reference work for fans of "Life of Mars", "The Rules of Modern Policing" offers an unique insight to seventies' law enforcement that will make you laugh until you cry.

Second in the series of the hilarious published scripts of the hugely successful series. 'Little Britain' is the TV comedy everyone is talking about, and has made instant stars of its creators, Matt Lucas and David Walliams. The show has a massive following, and the book contains exclusive material and photographs. Little Britain has become Britain's best-loved sketch comedy since The Fast Show - and won both its nominations at this year's Baftas, taking home the Best Comedy Performance and Best Comedy Series awards. Since the first series was screened, it has gone from cult cool to the kind of quotable success that comedy classics are made of. The characters from Little Britain are already household names: Daffyd is the only gay man in his village (and that's the way he wants to keep it); Jason is the teenage boy with an unhealthy attraction to his best friend's granny; Marjorie Dawes is the terrifying FatFighters group leader; Emily Howard, the rubbish transvestite; Bernard Chumley is the ageing theatre actor with a suspicious need to rid himself of his sister; and, of course, Vicky Pollard is the incomparably incoherent young offender.

Second in the series of the hilarious published scripts of the hugely successful series. 'Little Britain' is the TV comedy everyone is talking about, and has made instant stars of its creators, Matt Lucas and David Walliams. The show has a massive following, and the book contains exclusive material and photographs. Little Britain has become Britain's best-loved sketch comedy since The Fast Show - and won both its nominations at this year's Baftas, taking home the Best Comedy Performance and Best Comedy Series awards. Since the first series was screened, it has gone from cult cool to the kind of quotable success that comedy classics are made of. The characters from Little Britain are already household names: Daffyd is the only gay man in his village (and that's the way he wants to keep it); Jason is the teenage boy with an unhealthy attraction to his best friend's granny; Marjorie Dawes is the terrifying FatFighters group leader; Emily Howard, the rubbish transvestite; Bernard Chumley is the ageing theatre actor with a suspicious need to rid himself of his sister; and, of course, Vicky Pollard is the incomparably incoherent young offender.

Join the family Trotter with their get-rich-quick scheming and back-of-a-lorry sales pitch. The Rothschilds of Peckham, otherwise known as Trotter's Independent Traders (or TIT for short) cause untold trouble - and laughs - in their bid to become millionaires. This collection covers the first five series of the hilarious BBC sitcom and contains specially-written, original material, including the Trotter Dictionary, Rodney's CV and the Trotter Guide to Seduction.

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet first hit our screens in 1984 and quickly became one of Britain's best-loved dramas. Such was the popularity of the show, which followed the lives of three builders from Newcastle who travel to Germany in a desperate search for work, the cast shot to stardom and became house-hold names almost overnight. 2002 saw Jimmy Nail, Kevin Whately and the rest of the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet cast returning to our screens sixteen years after the last episode was filmed. Written with the full co-operation of series creator Franc Roddam and writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, The Complete 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet' Story will contain a detailed history of the show, unseen material from the series and interviews with cast and crew.

Unlike most collections of scripts from TV comedies, this has been skilfully edited to make it into a highly plausible diary. 'Scalpel-sharp in observation, deceptively simple in construction...at its frequent best Yes Prime Minsiter exhibits the classical perfection of a Mozart sonata' - Richard Last in The Times. 'Its closely observed portrayal of what goes on in the corridors of power has given me hours of pure joy' - Rt Hon. Margaret Thatcher MP. 'Yes Prime Minister....is not only a continuing marvel of editing by Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay but also a collector's must' - John Coldstream in the Daily Telegraph

Hello there! You'll have had your tea? Dougal here. Well, here we go, with our wee book. It's a collection or pot pourri (I've no idea what Hamish means by that - it sounds like something to do with the Pope) of our activities or 'doings' in the village we call home, because that's exactly what it is. Together with our housekeeper, Mrs Naughtie, and of course, the Laird who lives up at the big hoose and shoots grouse and other bottles of whisky, these are the actual scripts of our wee show which we performed on the wireless, when most of you were probably in bed! Hamish and I have known each other all our lives - well, not yet, obviously! We have a very close relationship and also with each other. Mrs Naughtie been with us since we first met her at the Krankie Arms, where she was working as part-time barmaid and bouncer.In addition to the scripts you'll find all kinds of other things tucked away under its kilt. There's a hectic social life in the village. You'll visit the 'bide a wee' cafe, proud possessor of three Michelin tyres. You'll have a conducted tour of the big hoose by Big Tam, our local guide (not during opening hours). You'll marvel at the site of the Battle of Auchtermuchty, now allotments. You'll peek into the Laird's social diary in 'oot and aboot' (40p at the post office). And a great deal more. Well, I hope this wee note will make you hurry to the till and spend the terrible amount of money these wee books cost these days. But then again this particular wee book is Scotland's answer to Richard and Judy! Hurrah! Away now.

Do you know what upsets David Brent?Wasted talent, yeah? People could come to him, and they could go, '''scuse me David, but you've been in the business 12 years, can you just spare us a moment to tell us how to, you know, run a team, how to keep them task-orientated while, you know, happy?'' But they don't. That's the tragedy. So the Brentmeister General is now prepared to share with us the scenes of his daily life. The scenarios that really illustrate the principles of great team management. His morale-boosting comedy (remember when he got Dawn to actually believe she was sacked?), his fund of earthy wisdom ('there should be no ego when you're pulling together to do something good...') along with glimpses of the fervent soul beyond the work-related arena, the impassioned singer-songwriter of the potentially highly successful band Foregone Conclusion (a.k.a. supported by Texas). These scripts will show how anyone can be a great boss and a funny person, how to use humour to boost morale, how to have a laugh at work, with women, at us. Investment in people. That's what it's all about really. The staff. Letting them know that they are our most important commodity. It's like, if you're cleaning a floor, and you're up against it, then come to me, and I'll help us clean our floor together...not literally. Including early drafts of the scripts, and introductions to each episode from the show's award-winning creators, Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant, The Office: The Scripts is the definitive comedy script book, providing fans with an invaluable opportunity to relive their favourite moments over and over again

In the BAFTA-winning comedy about the Slough paper merchant where life is stationary, David Brent is more appalling than ever as his personality spirals out of control. His slow descent into semi-madness is chronicled here, in The Office, The Scripts volume 2. Following on from the phenomenal success of series 1 - voted Comedy of the Year at the British Comedy Awards - the second series averaged over 4 million viewers, with a 25% audience share. The book will feature the scripts to all six episodes and will contain over 500 picture 'screengrabs' taken from the broadcast masters and available exclusively in this BBC publication. 'Original and accurate and painfully funny: it will have every office in the country twitching with spasms of recognition... This is a gem.' - The Times