The F-Word (4th Edition)

A skillfully updated edition of The F-Word which renders a comprehensive portrait of English's most notorious and colorful word.

No word has generated more uses, more creative euphemisms, and more strong opinions than fuck. Jesse Sheidlower's historical dictionary, now in print for over 25 years, charts the uses of fuck and its many permutations, from absofuckinglutely to zipless fuck. It illustrates every sense of every entry with quotations, from the earliest that can be found to a recent example, showing exactly how the word has been used throughout history.

This new edition is not just a minor update but a comprehensive revision of Sheidlower's groundbreaking text for the internet age. Major new discoveries push back the known history of fuck by almost two hundred years. Sheidlower also considers rapidly changing attitudes towards the use of fuck in public discourse. The volume includes over 2,500 new quotations; over 150 new antedatings (earlier examples of existing entries, improving our understanding of the word's development); and over 150 entries, including high-profile recent uses such as AF 'as fuck', fuckboi, and the group of expressions of the sort to give no fucks or zero fucks given.

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What the f**k can you say?

The etymology of the grandest word in the English language (and fully revised 4th edition at that!) is naturally more of a reference piece than an enthralling read or engrossing narrative. But there certainly is entertainment to be found in this read. All 26+ hours of it! Nothing but the comprehensive written/recorded history of (as the Brits so eloquently phrase it) effing & blinding!
Such vast and varied content by nature must prove challenging in delivery, though I believe the narrator Mike Johnson has brought life to the F-Words many forms in as decent a manner as possible. Just swallow it in portions - it’s far too large to go down in one bite!