Balderdash and Piffle
Encyclopedia
Balderdash and Piffle was a British
television
programme made by Takeaway Media for the BBC
. Presented by Victoria Coren
, it was a companion to the Oxford English Dictionary
's Wordhunt
, in which the writers of the dictionary asked the public for help in finding the origins and first known citations of a number of words and phrases.
The OED panel consisted of John Simpson
, the Chief Editor of the OED; Peter Gilliver
, who was also the captain of the Oxford University Press
team in University Challenge
- the Professionals; and Tania Styles, who also appeared in "dictionary corner" in Countdown
.
was launched in January 2007 and the results featured in the second series of the programme which began on Friday 11 May at 10pm on BBC Two.
The second series was divided thematically. Victoria Coren was joined by guest reporters who attempted to trace the etymology
and first documentary use of words, based on suggestions from the British public. Victoria Coren then took the evidence they had found to a panel of OED staff, who decided whether this evidence was sufficient to include in the dictionary.
in 2006. A second book, also by Alex Games and published by BBC Books, is titled Balderdash and Piffle: One sandwich short of a dog's dinner and accompanied the second series of the show.
The two books explore the origins of a number of words in the English language, including randy
, shampoo
and bouncy castle.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programme made by Takeaway Media for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. Presented by Victoria Coren
Victoria Coren
Victoria Elizabeth Coren is a British writer, presenter and champion poker player. Coren writes weekly columns for The Observer and The Guardian newspapers and hosts the BBC Four television quiz show Only Connect....
, it was a companion to the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
's Wordhunt
Wordhunt
Wordhunt was a national appeal run by the Oxford English Dictionary, looking for earlier evidence of the use of 50 words and phrases in the English language. New evidence found by members of the public in response to the appeal appears in the Oxford English Dictionary...
, in which the writers of the dictionary asked the public for help in finding the origins and first known citations of a number of words and phrases.
The OED panel consisted of John Simpson
John Simpson (lexicographer)
John Andrew Simpson is a British lexicographer and senior editor of the Oxford English Dictionary . Simpson was co-editor of the second edition, which ran to 20 volumes published in 1989, a combination of the original text with several supplemental volumes that had followed...
, the Chief Editor of the OED; Peter Gilliver
Peter Gilliver
Peter Gilliver is a lexicographer and Associate Editor of the OED.His parents were both linguists. He has a degree in Mathematics from Jesus College, Cambridge.Gilliver is working on a history of the OED.-Television:...
, who was also the captain of the Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
team in University Challenge
University Challenge
University Challenge is a British quiz programme that has aired since 1962. The format is based on the American show College Bowl, which ran on NBC radio from 1953 to 1957, and on NBC television from 1959 to 1970....
- the Professionals; and Tania Styles, who also appeared in "dictionary corner" in Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
.
Series one
The first series of Balderdash & Piffle was first broadcast in January 2006, with each programme being based around a letter. Following the conclusion of the first series, a follow-up episode aired on 16 April 2006 with updates on the discoveries members of the public had made, resulting in several further changes to the dictionary.Series two
A new WordhuntWordhunt
Wordhunt was a national appeal run by the Oxford English Dictionary, looking for earlier evidence of the use of 50 words and phrases in the English language. New evidence found by members of the public in response to the appeal appears in the Oxford English Dictionary...
was launched in January 2007 and the results featured in the second series of the programme which began on Friday 11 May at 10pm on BBC Two.
The second series was divided thematically. Victoria Coren was joined by guest reporters who attempted to trace the etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
and first documentary use of words, based on suggestions from the British public. Victoria Coren then took the evidence they had found to a panel of OED staff, who decided whether this evidence was sufficient to include in the dictionary.
The books
Balderdash and Piffle is also the name given to two books written by Alex Games. The first, titled Balderdash and Piffle was published by BBC BooksBBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
in 2006. A second book, also by Alex Games and published by BBC Books, is titled Balderdash and Piffle: One sandwich short of a dog's dinner and accompanied the second series of the show.
The two books explore the origins of a number of words in the English language, including randy
Randy
Randy is both a pet name, and a given name in the English language. It is both a masculine name and a feminine name. The masculine name was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, and also Andrew. The feminine name may have originated from the masculine Randy, or it may have originated...
, shampoo
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
and bouncy castle.