A beautiful collection celebrating the Queen's humour, with amusing quotations and stories about royal life. When thinking of the Queen, our first image is one of dignity and authority. She is the very definition of majesty: the British monarch, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the head of the Commonwealth. But as anyone who knows her will tell you, in person she has a wicked sense of humour: * Occasionally unintentional (when meeting guitar legend Eric Clapton she enquired 'Have you been playing a long time?') * Sometimes cannily astute ('I have to be seen to be believed') * At times downright silly (nicely demonstrated when staff at Balmoral discovered the Queen jumping up and down with glee exclaiming 'I've won, I've won!' after hearing that England had beaten Australia in the cricket) ... the Queen's sense of humour is like no other. Revealing a side of the Queen's personality that the public rarely see, this joyous book is a timely celebration of royal humour as Elizabeth II succeeds Victoria as Britain's longest-serving monarch.

One thing that unites us all – across time, nations and peoples – is food. From chocolate, rice pudding and sandwiches to breakfast in bed, banana phones and the fruit of a mythical jelabi tree, A.F. Harrold has brought together a wonderful and diverse collection of poems on the topic of food.

Beautifully illustrated in full colour by rising star Katy Riddell (daughter of former Children's Laureate, Chris Riddell), this rich and delicious anthology brings together work from a broad range of poets, including the magically observant William Carlos Williams, award-winning Joseph Coelho and the inspiring Sabrina Mahfouz. Whether you're in the mood for a perfect bowl of yoghurt or a pomegranate omelette, these poems will satisfy any food craving. The perfect gift for any poetry or food lover!

The perfect gift for fans of classic novels, crafting and puns. ‘There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my glue gun.’ This crafting celebration of literary classics will transport you and your scissors far from your kitchen table: allow your Mod Podge to smooth your way into the Gilded Age with ‘The Decoupage of Innocence’, or your craft knife to help you conceal an illicit eBook with ‘Lady Chatterley’s Kindle Cover’. Or simply create the perfect picnic accessory, to be enjoyed alongside some ginger beer with ‘Five Go to Smuggler’s Cake Topper’. From a shelf made of books to paper flowers, Christmas wreaths to table decorations, A Loom of One’s Own is a pun-filled celebration of crafting and writing that will appeal to book lovers or anyone who owns a glue gun.

'Bilston is a magician with words' - Guardian The perfect, witty gift for Valentine's and beyond. Alexa, what is there to know about love? is a wonderful collection of poems by Brian Bilston, Twitter's 'unofficial poet laureate', in which he frets over the challenges of modern life, extols the pleasures of books, broods over politics, and ponders the curiosities of language. But at its heart, this is a collection of poems about love. From our caveman days to the internet era, from first dates to love in old age, Alexa, what is there to know about love? has a love poem for every time, place and occasion - and will stir the soul of even the most jaded romantic. 'Brian Bilston is a laureate for our fractured times.' - Ian McMillan 'Someone who knows their way round both a joke and a bittersweet narrative.' - The Times 'Part John Cooper Clarke, part Frank Sidebottom . . . all brilliant.' - Esquire

No one understands the challenges and frustrations of the outdoorsman's life like John Troy, and no one makes the maddening business of hunting so riotously funny. Anyone still kicking himself over a missed shot, anyone wishing that his hunting dog had paid more attention in obedience school, or anyone who has ever been confounded by the antics of a pesky squirrel will enjoy this hugely delightful collection. In typical John Troy style, readers are treated to one-panel lampoons of shooters who can't hit stuffed animals, bears that beat up hunters, and ducks that make their own decoys. They're funny because they're true. Hilarious Hunting Cartoons will delight both novice and experienced hunters and will make an excellent gift for the passionate hunter.

The Sunday Times Humour Book of the YearA special reissue from Head of Zeus's bestselling anthology series of the funniest stories ever written, selected by comedian Paul Merton. From Anton Chekhov to Ali Smith, from P.G. Wodehouse to Nora Ephron, the greatest writers are those who know how to laugh. Here, award-winning comedian and broadcaster Paul Merton brings together his favourite funny stories of all time. Whether it's the silly, surreal, slap-stick or satirical that makes you smile, there's a story here to tickle every funny bone. From prize-winners and literary giants, to stand-up comedians and the rising stars of funny literature, this brilliant anthology is guaranteed to cheer your day.

A selection of the world's most incredible things according to award-winning writer, comedian, artist and podcaster Rob Auton I Strongly Believe In Incredible Things is a book of poetic prose, musings, short stories and biro drawings detailing a selection of the Earth's incredible things by award-winning writer, comedian, artist and podcaster Rob Auton. Unique, enchanting and utterly life affirming, this is a collection of pages that come together to create the opposite of the news, becoming the tonic for the complicated gin that is the world we find ourselves in today: a humorous and heartfelt book that is the ying to the yang that is politics ;a book of breathing space that gives oxygen to rediscovering the beauty of living on earth with the aim of fuelling people to return to the coal-face of everyday life with optimism and wonder in their pockets. Inhaling all we have in common, exhaling all we don't. From bubble wrap to Killer Whales; frog spawn to empathy, hand-dryers to parents, I Strongly Believe in Incredible Things wants to take you on a journey back to the incredible planet we live on.

South Africa approaches 20 years of democracy and what better way to look back at the country's wild ride than through the lens of Zapiro.

Look back to see how far the country has come but also how much further we still need to go to fulfil the promise of those early years of democracy.

South Africa may have changed in twenty years but Zapiro's sharp wit and cutting satire have remained a welcome constant over the years.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the smash-hit 50 People Who Stuffed Up South Africa, the original 50 People team brings you an all-new sequel: 50 People Who F***ed Up South Africa: The Lost Decade.

As witty, enlightening and entertaining as all the franchise books, this Christmas compendium is an eye-watering indictment of our tragicomic “last lost decade”, a time of ruinous and unprecedented national decline. Whereas it took more than 350 years to come up with the list of shame for the first book, they needed just ten more for the next 50 names, from Shaun Abrahams to Zuma, Zuma and Zuma. Shot through with the architects and beneficiaries of state capture – Magashula, Mahlobo, Mahumapelo, and not forgetting the Guptas – it is also features crisp takedowns of the individuals who represent the standout scandals in this time: the like of Nkandla, Marikana, Life Esidimeni, Steinhoff, Bosasa and VBS Mutual Bank.

The end result is a readable, accessible overview of the South Africa’s recent political and socioeconomic landscape. Because sometimes humour and a clearly painted picture really is the best coping mechanism…

The best dad joke book you'll ever read. Yes, it's that bad. As the ancient adage goes, 'A good dad joke is as bad as a bad dad joke'. On that fuzzy logic alone, 100 per cent of the 180+ dad jokes in this book are pure comedy gold. The jokes included in this tiny tome are revered by dads all over the world - that's how bad they are. Some jokes are old, some are new, some are unrepeatable - but all of them are worn out and tired. If you're a dad, you'll love them. If you're buying it for your dad, don't worry, the book is little for a purpose: should the urge to throw it down the toilet arise, it'll fit in one flush. Like dads themselves, these dad jokes are absolute stinkers. They haven't showered or gone to the gym in a while and, due to bloating, haven't seen their funny bones in a long time. But, like dads themselves, you'd miss them if you didn't hear them every once in a while. They are loveable in their own charming way. But, remember, don't eat all these jokes at once - you'll have a severe nervous breakdown. You have been warned!

As seen on The View and Good Morning America! If you think Joan Rivers said funny, outrageous, and ridiculous things ONSTAGE, wait 'til you read the funny, outrageous, and ridiculous things she said OFFSTAGE...things that will make you laugh out loud...and keep Melissa in therapy for the foreseeable future. The only thing my mother loved more than making people laugh was lying...or as she'd say, "embellishing." Her motto was: "Why let the truth ruin a good story?" This book contains some of those stories. ***************** "When Joan told a story, the truth disappeared faster than I did." - Jimmy Hoffa "If you thought Dante's Inferno was hot, read Lies My Mother Told Me; it's a five-alarmer." - Dante's second wife, Allie "Twelve of my twenty-six personalities loved this book." - Sybil "The words on the page absolutely crackle and spark; I burned my fingers reading it!" - Annie Sullivan "The Bible may be the good book, but Lies My Mother Told Me is way funnier." - Matthew 2:14 The Jets. 7 "Lies My Mother Told Me is the feel-good book of 2022." - Torquemada "All's not well that ends well. I've had massages with happier endings." - Wm. Shakespeare "Melissa, I don't care what your mother said in this book, I LOVE your bangs." - Mamie Eisenhower "Lies My Mother Told Me is so funny even those 'woke' m***********s will laugh." - Lenny Bruce

John Stanford’s anecjokes are yarns against adversity, told with elegance and wry humour.

Spanning half a century from the 1930s to the 1980s, they range from the psychology of sheep to frozen tractor valves to ancestral aunts. Many of the same characters re-appear, forming a patchwork of stories that becomes a rich and lively portrait of both an extended family and a farming community.

This is the Yorkshire edition of the humorous dictionary of toponymy and etymology, created by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd. If you opened this book expecting to find a variety of quaint thee and thy-based colloquialisms with the odd "ee-by-gum" and "tha'll be reet" thrown in for good measure, you may be a little disappointed...However, if you picked up this book because you're curious about things for which no words exist, and have a mild interest in random Yorkshire villages with quirky names - then you're in luck! The Yorkshire Meaning of Liff twins some of the obscurely wonderful, often unheard of and wastefully under-used place names of this glorious county, with the numerous experiences, feelings, situations and objects which we all know but, for some reason, have no words attributed to them. In no time at all you could be waxing lyrical about your most recent denaby main; empathising with friends who have also suffered a grimston, or expressing a whiston acquired during a state of galphay...

Tim Cotton has been a police officer for more than thirty years. The writer in him has always been drawn to the stories of the people he has met along the way. Dealing with the standard issue ne’er-do-wells as a patrol officer, homicide detective, polygraph examiner, and later as the lieutenant in charge of the criminal investigation division certainly provides an interesting backdrop—but more often he writes about the regular folks he encounters, people who need his help, or those who just want to share a joke or even a sad story. The Detective in the Dooryard is composed of stories about the people, places, and things of Maine. There are sad stories, big events, and even the very mundane, all told from the perspective of a seasoned police office and in the wry voice of a lifelong Mainer. Many of the stories will leave you chuckling, some will invariably bring tears to your eyes, but all will leave you with a profound sense of hope and positivity.

For fans of the perceptive comedy of Hannah Gadsby, Lindy West, and Sarah Silverman, Academy Award–nominated and acclaimed stand-up comedian Jena Friedman presents a witty and insightful collection of essays on the cultural flashpoints of today. Jena Friedman’s life in comedy began with her senior thesis on inequity in the Chicago comedy scene. It was, in short, not funny, but it anticipated her career as a writer and comedian with acerbic wit and a keen, cutting eye for social observation. Now, she brings her trademark whip-smart humor and cultural criticism to this brainy and laugh-out-loud funny essay collection. Friedman effortlessly takes us just beyond the edge of the uncomfortable with explorations on everything from why some celebrities get buried for their indiscretions while others get a second (third, and fourth…) chance, how we should think about lines of appropriateness crossed decades ago, living in the post- (post-) #MeToo world of today, and the power we hand to silence when we’re told not to joke about reproductive rights, gender, privilege, or class. Not Funny is a witty and bold collection, challenging us to deeply consider why we do and do not laugh, from a rising star of comedy always ready to call out hypocrisy wherever she finds it. And knows how to get a laugh while she does it.

"Humor Me" is a literary cavalcade of contemporary American funnymen - and funnywomen - of the page. Selected by the renowned humorist Ian Frazier and featuring more than fifty pieces of the greatest comic writing of our time, the book includes such masters of the form as Roy Blount, Jr., Bruce Jay Friedman, Veronica Geng, Jack Handey, Garrison Keillor, Steve Martin, and Calvin Trillin, as well as work by newer comic stars like Andy Borowitz, Larry Doyle, Simon Rich, George Saunders, and David Sedaris. The pieces were published in the past thirty years in such popular magazines as "The New Yorker", "McSweeney's", "The Atlantic", "National Lampoon", and "Outside". But the book also includes a handful of older comic masterpieces that nobody in need of a laugh should ever be without, among them classics by Bret Harte, Elizabeth Bishop, Donald Barthelme, and Mark Twain.

New York Magazine proclaims, "Twitter is the hot web company right now...the Next Big Thing;" the New York Times calls it "one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the Internet;" Time magazine claims "Twitter is on its way to becoming the next killer app;" and Newsweek notes that "Suddenly, it seems as though all the world′s a-twitter."

Since its creation in March 2006, Twitter has unleashed a torrent of self-expression from its six million members around the world, who send and read each others′ "tweets," messages up to 140 characters in length. Friends use the site to make plans; relatives use it to stay connected; politicians use it to lobby for votes; and humorists use it to perfect their craft. In fact, Twitter users have reinvented the classic medium of the witticism in a site where anyone can be a Dorothy Parker or an Oscar Wilde.

Twitter Wit is the first compilation of Twitter aphorisms, with submissions ranging from quotidian vignettes like "I bet in Sweden the Ikea instructions are in English" to bumper sticker-type quips like "I think the bird of love is the dove. My husband thinks it′s the swallow," and contributors ranging from celebrities like Shaquille O′Neal, Jimmy Fallon, Penn Jillette, John Cleese, and Steven Fry to regular people with previously unappreciated sharp tongues. Featuring a foreword by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, this authorized anthology of the thousand most most clever and memorable "tweets" relates the diversity of human experience in hilarious bite-sized pieces.

**AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW** From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wow, No Thank You 'Brilliant, hilarious and perspicacious' ELIZABETH DAY 'SO funny.' SARA PASCOE 'Wildly, seditiously funny.' New York Times 'Sam Irby is the king of sparkling misanthropy and tender, loving dread.' Jia Tolentino This is not an advice book. Samantha Irby doesn't know anything. After fleeing Chicago to quarantine at home in Michigan, Irby finds herself bleaching groceries and wondering if her upper lip hairs are visible on Zoom. Her career reaches new heights: she gets to work with the iconic ladies of Sex and the City - her dream! - but behind the new-found glam, Irby is just trying to keep her life together. Our friend in print is back, on point, and ready to take us with her, from adopting Abe (her scrawny, watery-eyed firstborn dog) to her favourite, extremely specific porn searches (including two old nuns).

In the long run, we're all dead. But for some of the most influential figures in history, death marked the start of a new adventure. The famous deceased have been stolen, burned, sold, pickled, frozen, stuffed, impersonated and even filed away in a lawyer's office. Their fingers, teeth, toes, arms, legs, skulls, hearts, lungs and nether regions have embarked on voyages that criss-cross the globe and stretch the imagination. Counterfeiters tried to steal Lincoln's corpse. Einstein's brain went on a cross-country road trip. And after Lord Horatio Nelson perished at Trafalgar, his sailors submerged him in brandy - which they drank. From Mozart to Hitler, Rest in Pieces connects the lives of the famous dead to the hilarious and horrifying adventures of their corpses and traces the evolution of cultural attitudes towards death.

In a surreal and unprecedented year in which even the most seasoned commentators have struggled to keep pace with the news cycle, letter writers to The Daily Telegraph have once again provided their refreshing and witty take on events. Now in its thirteenth year, this new edition of the best-selling series is a review of the year made up of the wry and astute observations of the unpublished Telegraph letter writers. Readers of the Telegraph Letters Page will be fondly aware of the eclectic combination of learned wisdom, wistful nostalgia and robust good sense of humour that characterise its correspondence - whether it's suggesting the sci-fi Vulcan salute as an alternative to the now-discouraged handshake, or a parable of political dysfunction drawn from shopping in Ikea. From Brexit to Covid, Trump to Biden, lockdown to vaccination, parish council Jackie Weaver to Texas Cat lawyer Rod Ponton, no one escapes their hilariously whimsical and sometimes risque musings. With an agenda as enticing as ever, the thirteenth book in the bestselling Unpublished Letters series will prove, once again, that the Telegraph's readers still have a shrewd sense of what really matters.

A fresh selection of sharp, witty zingers gathered from both famous and utterly unknown (but very quotable) sources, by the editor of the popular "The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said"
Robert Byrne's quote books are widely praised as authoritative and accessible sources of sayings for any and all occasions. Byrne's own wit, diligent research, and creativity combine to form a fresh go-to reference that serves readers better than Google--no Wi-Fi required. "The 2,548 Wittiest Things Anybody Ever Said "is an all-new collection of clever quips and laugh-out-loud punch lines from Gracie Allen to Frank Zappa, on such topics as sex, divorce, religion, fashion, animals, and money:
STEVE MARTIN: "I'd do anything for a good body except exercise and eat right."
JON STEWART: "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography."
NORA EPHRON: "Successful parents have adult children who can pay for their own psychoanalysis."
This compilation, to be enjoyed by generations young and old, deserves a place of honor on every language lover's bookshelf.

Golf is not just for the links – it’s for life. How do you know when you’re a golfer? For starters, you might just find golf has infiltrated every aspect of your life, from your choice of car (plenty of boot space) to the way you talk. You may find yourself mowing your lawn to fairway height, or discussing how your shaft feels extremely loudly in public. You probably think sub-par means something must be really, really good, and you’re pretty sure the Dutch Masters is a golf tournament. If you had to list your favourite numbers, they’re most likely 2, 3, 4, 18 and 72, and you spend 80% of dead-time practising your swing with an imaginary club and ball – and yet you always look to see where it went. But how do you really know when you’re a golfer? Perhaps you need to buy this book to find out.