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Balderdash and Piffle

Balderdash and Piffle

2006 2 Seasons 15 Episodes ⭐ 9.5 Documentary

Presented by Victoria Coren, it was 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 consisted 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 also appeared in "dictionary corner" in Countdown.

Presented by Victoria Coren, it was 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 consisted 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 also appeared in "dictionary corner" in Countdown.

Seasons & Episodes

EP 1

P Words

EP 2

M Words

EP 3

N Words

EP 4

S Words

EP 5

C Words

EP 6

B Words

EP 7

The Results Show

EP 1

One Sandwich Short Of A Picnic

The OED thought Balderdash & Piffle were just the people to help out with words relating to madness. And they were right

EP 2

Man's Best Friend

Dog has one of the longest entries in the dictionary - thanks to more than 250 different doggy phrases. The OED asked fo

EP 3

Euphemisms - The Lace Curtain Of Language

The OED asked us to investigate how we prefer to call a spade a shoveling implement, especially when talking about sex,

EP 4

Dodgy Dealings

From prison slang to gangster speak, the dodgy language of the underworld is colourful and inventive. The OED requested

EP 5

X-Rated

Some of the most thumbed entries in the OED are those containing the naughty words. The Wordhunt tied up four out of the

EP 6

Put Downs And Insults

The OED politely asked us to assist them with five put downs and insults. We sparked changes with evidence for three wor

EP 7

Who Were They?

The Wordhunt looked into four eponyms - expressions which immortalize people in our language - and succeeded on pinning

EP 8

Fashionistas

The language of fashion is as changeable as the industry it serves. The OED needed your help with five fashion-related w

Popular Cast

Victoria Coren Mitchell

Victoria Coren Mitchell