Signposting

It is a simple but genius concept to combine the subjects of toponomy and etymology.

In the hands of any others than the author Douglas Adams and the comedy writer and producer John Lloyd it could have been a dry and uninspiring topic but in their 1983 "Book of Liff" they produced the ultimate spoof dictionary.

I received one of the first copies as a birthday gift in my early twenties and it accompanied me just about everywhere for a couple of decades in my student, early working and married years.

The slim, black paperback was a constant source of amusement even though well and often read. It did go missing during one or other house moves and has not been seen since. It is hard to believe the time that has passed since its publication but it remains in demand today and has inspired many comedians and performers with its originality.

The concept, thought up and written in a month involved looking at an atlas/gazeteer of British place names and then interpreting the names into phrases and sayings that should exist but do not.

Some are downright hilarious, others silly or surreal and a few just plain and outrageously rude and vulgar.

To set the tone of the listings in the "Book of Liff", one of the most quoted and popular is "Huby". To me this is very relevant as the small village, just to the North East of York is actually on my workpatch. The Adams and Lloyd interpretation of Huby is "an erection which is big enough to be an embarassment in your trousers but not enough to do anything with". I am not able to drive down the main street of that village without a bit of a giggle.

In the same vein of meaning , "Perth" is interpreted as a silent fart. My home city of Hull is also featured under a description of "the distinctive smell of a weekend holiday cottage".

Many can identify with the dictionary because a lot of the content relates to familiar and common experiences. The use of placenames gives the impression of solidity and dependability but there can be a difficulty in expression or put simply, the words just do not exist.

You may have struggled to find words to describe,for example, an unmarried heterosexual partner. Boyfriend or girlfriend may be too young in outlook, paramour a bit old fashioned, partner a bit clinical and lover, well, a bit cringey in polite company. As for adult children I often stammer and wallow in clarifying that they I do have kids but are now all in their twenties.

In the 2013 celebration to mark thirty years since the publication of "Book of Liff" one of the co-authors, John Lloyd, was disappointed that none of the listings had in fact made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in spite of some everyday use and cult status.

The book has spawned many new descriptions over the years on the same model, some reflecting changes in society, social convention, modern life and the many technological changes.

"Troon" describes the inappropriate and unwanted noise of a phone or other device when otherwise a respectful silence is demanded. "Tildonk" refers to that small wedge shape of plastic that is placed on a checkout conveyor belt to separate the purchases of different shoppers. "Lewisham" is the horrible feeling that your car keys are not in your pocket as usual but explained by the fact that you are driving. "Badgers Mount" is a bit more risque in explaining a sexual position that you just know will not work even though your partner is keen to try it. "Frisby on the Wreake", again an actual placename is interpreted as a shouted warning of potential injury in a nudist colony.

A perfect illustration of the attitudes and outlook of some in the current climate is  "Faccombe" in Hampshire which means deciding against helping out those less fortunate than yourself.

I did, just this evening, have a short but not very committed hunt around the house for my beloved copy of the small black book but it is long gone. I can but hope that it turned up in a second hand shop or at the bottom of a box in a rummage sale to be appreciated and cherished in new ownership.

There must be a place name behind this scenario to have the Adams/Lloyd treatment but I am unable to think of one now. Any ideas are of course very welcome. .