Butt Rot & Bottom Gas

by Eric Groves Sr.

butt rot /b@t rät/ n. a fungal disease affecting the butt, or base, of a tree
bot•tom gas /bä2-t@m gas/ n. a type of breathing gas carried in portable tanks and inhaled by under-water divers
 
The English language is full of words that sound obscene but aren’t. Words like arsole (an organic chemical compound), crack spread (a calculation showing theoretical market values of petroleum), cunctator (a person who procrastinates, delays, or wastes time), and spotted dick (a traditional English dessert made with hot, thick custard).
 
Seventh-grade English teacher Eric Groves, Sr., has spent years listening to his students giggle after he used terms like thespian, coccyx, and masticate. Now he has compiled hundreds of these so-called “dirty” words into a delightful glossary, complete with illustrated definitions of their true meanings. From air cock (a valve on a boiler) and bushmaster (a large venomous snake) to cummingtonite (a mineral) and beyond, Butt Rot and Bottom Gas is a hilarious reference for word lovers and the snickering seventh grader in all of us.

Genres: Reference, Language

112 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mark Woodland]

This book is just plain disappointing; my only consolation is that it was a gift, therefore I didn't pay for it. The cover sounds promising for a bit of very light, silly reading: A book of misunderstood or easily misconstrued phrases. The title implies that there's going to be some low humor involved, and every now & then, a little low humor is just what's called for after reading something wretched like the newspaper. Unfortunately, the book is just a dictionary; it lists simply the word or phrase in question and the actual definition. Nothing on the origin, nothing listing the more popular & humorous interpretations.... and, missing a huge opportunity, not giving examples of the misuse or poorer interpretations. Doing so might have rendered the book a thing I like to call "funny". As it stands, it's drier than a prune that's been left out in the sun for a week. A keener publisher would have seen the potential for a more interesting book and something more likely to sell. As it stands, the best they could do was come up with a title that hints of something better. Any good bookstore browser would pick this one up, glance at it and dismiss it entirely. My recommendation: Don't even bother picking it up.

[David James]

Mildly amusing, although most of the words aren't as obnoxious sounding as the author might think. He also had a couple of incorrect pronunciations in there, which irked me. Still, decent for picking up when you have a few minutes to kill.

[Michael]

Fascinating read.

[Jerry Smith]

Attracted by the title and some amusing words here but it is jsut to dip into really - what it says, simply a definition of words that sound somewhat risque and amusing but are not!

[Lesly]

I only wish it had listed what the words meant in slang as well.