Everything about Balderdash And Piffle totally explained
Balderdash and Piffle is a
British television programme made by Takeaway Media for the
BBC. Presented by
Victoria Coren, it's a companion to the
Oxford English Dictionary's
Wordhunt, in which the writers of the dictionary asked the public for help in finding the origins and first known citations of a number of words and phrases.
The
OED panel consists of
John Simpson, the Chief Editor of the OED;
Peter Gilliver, who was also the captain of the
Oxford University Press team in
University Challenge - the Professionals; and
Tania Styles, who has also appeared in "dictionary corner" in
Countdown.
Series one
The first series of
Balderdash & Piffle was first broadcast in
January 2006, with each programme being based around a letter. Following the conclusion of the first series, a follow-up episode aired on
16 April 2006 with updates on the discoveries members of the public have made, resulting in several further changes to the dictionary.
Series two
A new
Wordhunt was launched in
January 2007 and the results feature in the second series of the programme which began on Friday 11th May at 10pm on BBC Two.
The second series is divided thematically. Victoria Coren is joined by guest reporters who attempt to trace the
etymology and first documentary use of words, based on suggestions from the British public. Victoria Coren then takes the evidence they've found to a panel of Oxford English Dictionary staff, who decide whether this evidence is sufficient to include in the dictionary.
The books
Balderdash and Piffle is also the name given to two books written by
Alex Games. The first, titled
Balderdash and Piffle was published by
BBC Books in
2006. A second book, also by Alex Games and published by BBC Books, is titled
Balderdash and Piffle: One sandwich short of a dog's dinner and accompanies the second series of the show.
The two books explore the origins of a number of words in the English language, including
randy,
shampoo and
bouncy castle.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Balderdash And Piffle'.
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