Roger's Profanisaurus
Encyclopedia
Roger's Profanisaurus is a compendium of profanity
, featuring the foulmouthed Viz
character Roger Mellie
, the man on the telly. The title is a word play on Roget's Thesaurus
. The book is published in the United Kingdom by Viz
, and described as "the foulest-mouthed book ever to stalk the face of the earth". Whilst humorous in intent, the book is a formidable reference work.
reference each other in a loop, without ever defining the term.
and allusion to the seemingly limitless synonymous phrases for farts contained therein) at the end of 2007.
Unlike a traditional dictionary or thesaurus the content is enlivened by often pungent or politically incorrect observations and asides intended to provide further comic effect. Those familiar with Ambrose Bierce
's Devil's Dictionary might recognise some parallels with Bierce's style though his lacked the overt obscenity. The authors often take delight in lampooning political or media figures of the day, or illustrating terms with fictional dialogue between notionally respectable historical figures.
wrote that Profanisaurus "represents what you might call the maximalist tendency in obscenity". Becky Barrow wrote that Profanisaurus "became a bestseller. It contained more swear words than the most devoted practitioner would ever remember."
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, featuring the foulmouthed Viz
Viz (comic)
Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...
character Roger Mellie
Roger Mellie
Roger Mellie is a fictional character featured in Viz magazine. His catchphrase is "Hello, good evening and bollocks!", satirising David Frost's catchphrase "Hello, good evening, and welcome". The character is foul-mouthed, an obnoxious misogynist who manages to maintain a career as a television...
, the man on the telly. The title is a word play on Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's Thesaurus is a widely-used English language thesaurus, created by Dr. Peter Mark Roget in 1805 and released to the public on 29 April 1852. The original edition had 15,000 words, and each new edition has been larger...
. The book is published in the United Kingdom by Viz
Viz (comic)
Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...
, and described as "the foulest-mouthed book ever to stalk the face of the earth". Whilst humorous in intent, the book is a formidable reference work.
Notable features
The references for various slang terms for vaginaVagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
reference each other in a loop, without ever defining the term.
Publication
The Profanisaurus was originally published as a supplement stapled into the middle of the comic. Contributions from readers have been published in the comic and then edited into later editions. The first book was released in 1998 (ISBN 1-902212-05-3) with 2,250 definitions and this was followed in the second edition in 2002 with the number of terms covered growing to 4,000 (ISBN 0-7522-1507-8). An updated version, the Profanisaurus Rex, containing over 8,000 words and phrases, was released in 2005, and a further-expanded version, the "Magna Farta" (a play on Magna CartaMagna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
and allusion to the seemingly limitless synonymous phrases for farts contained therein) at the end of 2007.
Unlike a traditional dictionary or thesaurus the content is enlivened by often pungent or politically incorrect observations and asides intended to provide further comic effect. Those familiar with Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist...
's Devil's Dictionary might recognise some parallels with Bierce's style though his lacked the overt obscenity. The authors often take delight in lampooning political or media figures of the day, or illustrating terms with fictional dialogue between notionally respectable historical figures.
Reception
David StubbsDavid Stubbs
David Stubbs is a British journalist. He was born on 13 September 1962 in London, but grew up in Leeds. As a student at Oxford University he was a close friend of Simon Reynolds; together they worked on an influential fanzine called Monitor before joining Melody Maker in 1986...
wrote that Profanisaurus "represents what you might call the maximalist tendency in obscenity". Becky Barrow wrote that Profanisaurus "became a bestseller. It contained more swear words than the most devoted practitioner would ever remember."