Uglier Than a Monkey’s Armpit: Untranslatable Insults, Put-Downs, and Curses from Around the World

The most curious, funny, insightful, and expressive invectives from more than forty languages-fully illustrated, you miserable misokakku.

Misokkasu : Scum of soya paste. (Japanese) Tu es um borra-battos. : You s**t in your own boots. (Portugese) Like a fart in a trance. : A dreamy person who seems at a loss what to do. (Scottish) A pies ci morde lizal! : Literally, a dog has licked your gob. (Polish) Prumphaensn. : Fartchicken. (Icelandic)

Whether borne out of surprise, anger, passion, or humor, curses and insults make up some of the most colorful and profound phrases in a language. In Uglier Than a Monkey’s Armpit, word experts Dr. Robert Vanderplank and Stephen Dodson have scoured the world looking for the most interesting, insightful, and expressive invectives from more than forty languages. These are the words you won’t learn in any language class.

Arranged by language, containing pointers on gestures, and appropriately illustrated, Uglier Than a Monkey’s Armpit (a Spanish phrase to avoid) will equip you with the vocabulary to amuse, shock, offend, and let off steam, wherever you happen to be.