Wordhunt Explained

Wordhunt was a national appeal run by the Oxford English Dictionary, looking for earlier evidence of the use of 50 words and phrases in the English language.^[1] New evidence found by members of the public in response to the appeal appears in the Oxford English Dictionary.^[2] The appeal is a companion to the BBC2 television series Balderdash and Piffle.

First Wordhunt

The first Wordhunt was launched in 2005 by the Oxford English Dictionary and the BBC and resulted in the OED updating the entries of 34 words and phrases, featured in the first series of Balderdash and Piffle broadcast in early 2006.^[3]

The 50 words and phrases were:

• • • • • • • • balti Beeb bog standard bonk bouncy castle boffin bomber jacket Crimble
    • chattering classes codswallop cyberspace
      • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • cyborg ditsy dosh full monty gas mark gay handbags at dawn her indoors jaffa Mackem made-up minger minted moony mullered mullet mushy peas naff nerd nip and tuck nit nurse nutmeg Old Bill on the pull pass the parcel pear-shaped phwoar pick 'n' mix ploughman's lunch pop one's clogs porky posh square one (back to...)
        • ska smart casual snazzy something for the weekend to throw one's toys out of the pram
• tikka masala

Second Wordhunt

The second Wordhunt was launched in January 2007, and the results featured in a second series of Balderdash and Piffle, which was broadcast in Spring 2007.

The forty words and phrases, divided into six themes, are:Man's Best Friend

• dog and bone (1961)
• the dog's bollocks (1989)
• mucky pup (1984)
• shaggy dog story (1946) *
• sick puppy (1984)

Put Downs and Insults

• plonker (1966)
• prat (1968) *
• tosser (1977)
• wally (1969)
• wazzock (1984)

Spend a Penny

• domestic (1963)
• glamour model (1981)
• loo (1940) *
• regime change (1990)
• whoopsie (1973)

Fashionistas

• flip-flop (1970)
• hoodie (1990)
• shell-suit (1989)
• stiletto (1959)
• trainer (1978)

X Rated

• dogging (1993) *
• kinky (1959)
• marital aid (1976)
• pole dance (1992)
• wolf-whistle (1952)

One Sandwich Short

• bananas (1968) *
• bonkers (1957) *
• daft (or mad) as a brush (1945) *
• duh brain (1997)
• one sandwich short of a picnic (1993)

Who Were They?

• Bloody Mary (1956) *
• Gordon Bennett (1967) *
• Jack the Lad (1981)
• round robin (1988)
• take the mickey (1948) *

Dodgy Dealings

• bung (1958) *
• Glasgow kiss (1987)
• identity theft (1991)
• spiv (1934) *
• twoc (1990)

External links

• Series 1 from the OED
• Wordhunt from the OED
• Balderdash and Piffle from the BBC

Notes and References

1. Web site: BBC - Press Office - Oxford English Dictionary and the BBC launch new Wordhunt . 2022-06-03 . www.bbc.co.uk.
2. Web site: Zimmer . Ben . August 2012 . Crowdsourcing the dictionary . 2022-06-03 . BostonGlobe.com . en-US.
3. Web site: 2012-10-08 . The history of the OED Appeals . 2022-06-03 . OUPblog . en.