In twelve new essays, contributors explore hybrid theories in metaethics and other normative domains.

Why are certain words used as insults in Shakespeare's world and what do these words do and say? Shakespeare's plays abound with insults which are more often merely cited than thoroughly studied, quotation prevailing over exploration. The purpose of this richly detailed dictionary is to go beyond the surface of these words and to analyse why and how words become insults in Shakespeare's world. It's an invaluable resource and reference guide for anyone grappling with the complexities and rewards of Shakespeare's inventive use of language in the realm of insult and verbal sparring.

This is the first British textbook dealing solely with sign linguistics.

First published in 1992. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE brings to students, researchers and practitioners in all of the social and language-related sciences carefully selected book-length publications dealing with sociolinguistic theory, methods, findings and applications. It approaches the study of language in society in its broadest sense, as a truly international and interdisciplinary field in which various approaches, theoretical and empirical, supplement and complement each other. The series invites the attention of linguists, language teachers of all interests, sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, historians etc. to the development of the sociology of language.

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.

"This collection of essays arises from the 7th annual Cambridge French Graduate Conference, held July 4-5, 2005, whose theme was 'threat'."

Although he was a skilful author of courtly love lyrics, Rustico’s fame rests on another type of poetics altogether. At the time, he was credited with fathering a new branch of comic literature—insult. Of his 59 sonnets, 30 are insulting caricatures of fellow citizens, political figures, and Florentine women. Literary theorists had justified insult as a means to enforce public morality, but in the Italian tradition, no one had explored the artistic range of insulting literature before Rustico. After Rustico, insult was a central element of comic literature.