Liff, the Universe and Everything. (The Meaning of Liff - Douglas Adams)

Member Name: jamie56

Product:	The Meaning of Liff - Douglas Adams
Date:	04/07/01 (224 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Funny

Disadvantages: Too Short

Who thinks of these things?
Let's find out...

Douglas Adams is known for The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy or Dirk Gently and who also had his hand in with The writing of many Monty Python Sketches.

John Lloyd is a BBC TV producer for the BBC series Blackadder.

So then they joined forces they created this handy pocketsize reference book.
But firstly, what is the meaning of Liff? Let's have a look what is says in The Meaning of Liff:

"LIFF (N.)
A BOOK, THE CONTENTS OF WHICH ARE TOTALLY BELIED BY ITS COVER. FOR INSTANCE, ANY BOOK THAT BEARS THE WORDS 'THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.'"

Are we going to get any explanations?
Lets look at the Foreword...

"IN LIFE*, THERE ARE MANY HUNDREDS OF COMMON EXPERIENCES, FEELINGS, SITUATIONS AND EVEN OBJECTS WHICH WE ALL KNOW AND RECOGNIZE, BUT FOR WHICH NO WORDS EXIST.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE WORLD IS LITTERED WITH THOUSANDS IF SPARE WORDS WHICH SPEND THEIR TIME DOING NOTHING BUT LOAFING ABOUT ON SIGNPOSTS POINTING AT PLACES.
OUR JOB, AS WE SEE IT, IS TO GET THESE WORDS DOWN OFF THE SIGNPOSTS AND INTO THE MOUTHS OF BABES AND SUCKLINGS AND SO ON, WHERE THEY CAN START EARNING THEIR KEEP IN EVERYDAY CONVERSATION AND MAKE A MORE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY.

*AND, INDEED, IN LIFF."
Quotes by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd

So as you can see Douglas Adams and John Lloyd set out to give names to all the things that don't have any things like what is the descriptive word of the act of shifting the shoulder straps of a heavy bag in a vain attempt to make it seem lighter or what is the name of nose excreta of malleable consistency. They do this by using as many place names they can get their hands on.

So anyway, where is Liff?
Well after some searching in the AA road map I finally worked out the grid reference and found out that Liff is a little place in Scotland just out
side of Dundee.

"Hello to all in Liff!"
Quote by Me for no apparent reason.

Once called the spoof dictionary it is, as you would expect, set out in dictionary style with the words, meanings however, unlike a normal dictionary its full of plenty of laughs. There are two books, The Deeper Meaning of Liff is an updated version of original The Meaning of Liff.

So you can now learn the meanings of words from Aalst to Zumbo.
Only now can you find out:
what that bit that joins sausages together is called (Kerry)
the word that describes the pleasant smell of a empty biscuit tin (Lindisfarne)
or the correct word to use when your trying to get away from the most boring person at a party (West Wittering).

I will not go into the meaning of Wetwang, which is a little place between York and Driffield, you will just have to guess that one.

So for additional words for you to expand your own personal vocabulary there is no place better than in The Meaning of Liff and/or The Deeper Meaning of Liff.

Summary: