YOUR COMMENTS... +++ Ian F: "Cool site!" +++ Britto B: "Cool page. Love it." +++ Bill L: "You crack me up!" +++ Fahad: "Fantastic group. The best group in Facebook!" +++ Shafaq S: "Ha ha ha, very funny" +++ Radika D: "This is cool... since my English full of errors :))" +++ Tracy N: "So useful and so funny!" +++ Samantha S: "I just love the many funny posts on this site :)" +++ Nie A: "Me too!" +++ Joanne B: "This page is so funny, keep it up" +++ Andrea T: "What a sense of humour we have. Love it." +++ Kara M: "He he, great site!" +++ Mike H: "Awesome site!" +++ Jubajo likes B25 (Sir Winston Churchill invented the V-sign to encourage people. It is different today): "Flip the fingers around and flip the message! Too funny!" +++ Loraine W likes B23 (Industrial revolution being special kind of pills to lazy people to make them work): "Absolutely adore this response. Only wish it were true! My 12 and 16 year old boys could do with a megadose." +++ Nicola D from Perth likes B44: "Funny as it is true ... Everyone I have showed it to has laughed. That's what makes a classic quote." +++ Virginia A from Brighton Qld likes B173 (Any one trespassing on these grounds, without permission, will be prosecuted): "LOL. Well, I mean, honestly: What is trespassing? Going on the grounds WITH permission?" +++ Phillip C from Mount Druitt NSW likes B21 (The King wore a scarlet robe trimmed with vermin): "It would have been a one of a kind robe. I wonder if it smelt?" +++ Barbara R likes B139 (For sale: Baker's business, good trade, large oven, present owner been in it 17 years. Satisfactory reasons for leaving): "Very good reason for leaving - 17 years in an oven. Well and truly baked!" +++ Gail D from WA likes B139 too: "Look out, the next generation of bakers will have to meet the challenges of business by putting their whole being into it!" +++ Sharon J likes B99 (Some women are pretty and some are teachers): "I just hope his teacher laughed!" +++ Karen W from Maitland NSW likes B94 (He tried in vain and was successful): "This cracked me up, it seems to be my motto for life or at least one I would strive to achieve." +++ Deb A likes B19 (B19 Columbus was a great navigator who cursed about the Atlantic): "The image of Columbus sailing around the Atlantic swearing away tickles me pink." +++ Cheryl D likes B68 (The earth holds on to everything with its grabity): "I've known men like that." +++ Gaye M likes B103 (No part of a cow is wasted; even the skin is used to put on the top of hot milk): "I will never look at a glass of milk in quite the same way. Milk and skin anyone?" +++ Diane G from Qld likes B142 (WANTED: A small pony belonging to a young lady with a silver mane and tail): "They do say that owners and their animals look alike and here is proof!" +++ Brooke S says "Absolutely hilarious... Loved reading it. Favourite would have to be the Wanted section. LOL funny." +++ Amanda S likes B66 (Gravity tells us why an apple does not go to heaven): "It is Isaac Newton's birthday today. I think he would have found it funny too!" +++ Chanteya says "B172 has to be my favourite hands down! 'Infringe our title to deceive the public'. Shameless but brilliant!" +++ Dianne M says "'Henry the Navigator sent out many navel expeditions to explore the lower regions'. What a difference an E makes!" +++ Melissa C says "B41 is a cute one: 'A curve is the longest way between 2 points'." +++ Deb D says she would use the news headline "Judge Dismisses Most Charges In Apple Suit" as "an example in junior English classes to highlight the importance of using correct language to convey a message" +++ Maneeha says "'Industrial Revolution is a special kind of pills which doctors give to lazy people to make them work'... I love this! :D" +++ Selena Z likes "A triangle is a square with only 3 corners." +++ Allen S likes "'An example of a collective noun is a garbage can' ... It plays on several levels." +++ T Phan from Qld: "'A verb is something to eat'. So funny when reading it. I guess a verb is similar to a herb?! :)" +++ Cheryl M: "When I read the following one, I truly broke out laughing ... 'James the First claimed the throne of England through his grandmother because he had no father'". +++ Katherine R from Qld says blooper number B14 "made me laugh out loud: 'In Russia there are vast carnivorous forests' ... Imagining this made me smirk for the rest of the afternoon". +++ Shane S from Australia also likes B14, adding: "The setting for the fourth installment of the Twilight movie series?" +++ Lorna S from VIC says she remembers interviewing a guy who proudly stated on his CV that he had been "ducks of his school" +++ Julia R likes "Proportional Representation is a system of voting always favoured by those who can’t get in otherwise" +++ Adrian G from Qld says "My favourite funny English error is b37. I am sure it is not the answer being looked for, but how can you argue with the logic!" +++ Joni H from NZ likes "A triangle is a square with only three corners" +++ Trina H from Australia: "I like 'In the Classroom: Vocabulary' where it says stars are the moon's eggs. I teach children and they would really think this!" +++ Selena Z says her Mum would love this howler: "Dear Mum, I could have eaten a dead monkey, so your cake came in very useful." +++ Jessica W says "My fav is 'Weight is the weight that a thing weighs'" +++ Raylee L says about this site: "Hilarious. I love it." +++ Liz J from NZ: "I like the press errors" +++ Sonia K from NSW: "B7 is my favourite. As a geography teacher I love it and can't wait to share it with my students." +++ Frances A from NZ: "My favourite is 'A criminal is someone who gets caught'; there are those who truly believe this!" +++ K Hill's favourite howler is "An island is a portion of land entirely surrounded by water except in the middle"; K Hill adds: "As a student teacher who's been informed 'Tasmania cannot possibly be an island because it's part of Australia', I would rejoice to hear this response!" +++ Veronica D likes "LOST: A small pony belonging to a young lady with a silver mane and tail"; Veronica says "As soon as I read this one I got an immediate visual image." +++ Shasi's favourite is "The imperfect tense is used in France to express a future action in past time which does not take place at all"; Shasi says "Like how I'm my own grandfather; trippy, confusing, hilarious." +++

Books of Howlers and Other Blunders

The following bibliography lists, in chronological order, books of howlers and other blunders.  We have provided the bibliography so that you may see something of the history of compiling English language blunders. The bibliography lists only secondary sources that have a substantial compilation of English language blunders.

For an indication of the kind of primary sources the compiler used to create Funny English Errors and Insights, read the footnotes at the end of the funny English errors that didn't make it into our book.

Links are to Amazon and, where available, to pages on this website that contain significant content from or about the particular book.

Several aspects of Funny English Errors and Insights set the book apart from these other collections. For example, Funny English Errors and Insights:

  • traces the specimens to their original source, or as close to the original source as we could get
  • contains specimens that have never been published before in a compilation
  • includes 30 illustrations from the National Library's Pictorial Collections
  • contains a select list of 301 specimens — it's the specimens that didn't make it into the collection that makes Funny English Errors and Insights extra special

Bibliography

  1. Punch, or the London Charivari (1841–1992; 1996–2002) (magazine that often published howlers and bloopers from contemporary newspapers and other sources)
  2. John Smith, Irish Diamonds or a Theory of Irish Wit and Blunders: Combined with other Kindred Subjects (1847)
  3. Charles Bombaugh, The Book of Blunders: Comprising Hibernicisms, Bulls that are Not Irish and Typographic Errors (1871)
  4. D Appleton and Co, English as She is Wrote (1883)
  5. Caroline B Le Row, English as She is Taught (1887)
  6. WA Clouston, The Book Of Noodles: Stories Of Simpletons (1888)
  7. University Correspondent (1892–) (from 1892 to 1939 (except for 1913), the University Correspondent published the results of a competition for the year’s best collection of howlers)
  8. Marshall Brown, Bulls and Blunders (1894)
  9. Henry J Barker, The Comic Side of School Life (8 ed, 1906)
  10. Marshall Brown, Humor of Bulls and Blunders (1906)
  11. EB Lewin Hill, Verse, Prose, and Epitaphs (1908)
  12. JC Percy, Bulls: Ancient and Modern (1912)
  13. TJ Macnamara, School-Room Humour (3 ed, 1913)
  14. Cecil Hunt, Howlers (1928)
  15. Walter Jerrold, Bulls, Blunders and Howlers (1928)
  16. Colin McIlwaine, Schoolboy “Howlers” (3 ed, 1928)
  17. Cecil Hunt, Fresh Howlers (1930)
  18. Cecil Hunt, Howlers Omnibus (1928–30) (comprising Howlers, Fresh Howlers, and Fun with the Famous)
  19. Colin McIlwaine, Smith Minor Again (1930)
  20. Ho Hum: Newsbreaks from “The New Yorker” (1931)
  21. Alexander Abingdon, Boners (1931)
  22. Alexander Abingdon, More Boners (1931)
  23. Alexander Abingdon, Still More Boners (1931)
  24. Alexander Abingdon, The Omnibus Boners (1931) (comprising Boners, More Boners, and Still More Boners)
  25. Cecil Hunt, Howlers Encored (1931)
  26. WW Scott, Breaks (1931)
  27. Another Ho Hum: More Newsbreaks from “The New Yorker” (1932)
  28. Alexander Abingdon, Prize Boners for 1932 (1932)
  29. Cecil Hunt, Latest Howlers (1934)
  30. Frank M Richmond, School Yarns and Howlers (1934) 75
  31. Cecil Hunt and Edmund Blampied (illustrator), Hand-picked Howlers (1937)
  32. John Audrey, Bloomers (1937)
  33. Cecil Hunt and Edmund Blampied (illustrator), More Hand-picked Howlers (1938)
  34. Cecil Hunt and Edmund Blampied (illustrator), Ripe Howlers (1939)
  35. The Pocket Book of Boners (1941) (selections from Alexander Abingdon, Boners, More Boners, Still More Boners, and Prize Boners for 1932)
  36. Juliet Lowell, Dear Sir (1944)
  37. KR Cramp, The “Roar” Material of History (1946)
  38. Juliet Lowell, Dear Sir or Madam a New Collection of Loony and Wonderful American Letters (1946)
  39. Louis Untermeyer, A Treasury of Laughter (1946)
  40. Cecil Hunt, My Favourite Howlers (1951)
  41. Alexander Abingdon, Bigger and Better Boners (1952) (half the specimens were new to Americans at the time) (added 15 February 2010)
  42. Denys Parsons, It Must be True: It Was All in the Papers (1952)
  43. SC Johnson, Schoolboy and Other Howlers (1953)
  44. Denys Parsons, Can It Be True? (1953)
  45. Juliet Lowell, Dear Doctor (1955)
  46. Denys Parsons, Nothing Brightens the Garden Like Primrose Pants: The Life and Times of Gobfrey Shrdlu (1955) (text from It Must Be True (1952) and Can It Be True? (1953))
  47. Cecil Hunt, The Best Howlers (1957)
  48. H Allen Smith, Don't Get Perconel With a Chicken (1957)
  49. Juliet Lowell, Dear Justice: A Book for the Just, the Unjust, and Those Who Just Like to Laugh (1958)
  50. Denys Parsons, Many a True Word (1958)
  51. Juliet Lowell, Dear Hollywood (1959)
  52. Roger Brook, Really, Nurse! Hundreds of Nursing Howlers Taken from the Actual Examination Papers of Many Great Hospitals (1960)
  53. Juliet Lowell, Dear Mr Congressman (1960)
  54. Juliet Lowell, Dear Folks (1960)
  55. Private Eye (1961–) (magazine that often publishes howlers and bloopers from contemporary newspapers and other sources)
  56. Juliet Lowell, Dear Man of Affairs (1961)
  57. Art Linkletter, Kids Sure Rite Funny! A Child's Garden of Misinformation (1962)
  58. Denys Parsons, Say It Isn't So (1st American edition,1962)
  59. Juliet Lowell, Dear VIP (1963)
  60. Denys Parsons, Funny Ha Ha and Funny Peculiar (1965)
  61. Jerry Robinson, True Classroom Flubs & Fluffs (1965)
  62. Fritz Spiegl, What the Papers Didn't Mean to Say (1965)
  63. Roger Brook, And After That Nurse? (1966)
  64. Juliet Lowell, Boners in the News (1966)
  65. Fritz Spiegl, Black on White Misprint Show (1966)
  66. Denys Parsons, Funny Ho Ho and Funny Fantastic (1967)
  67. Juliet Lowell, Dear Candidate (1968)
  68. Fritz Spiegl, More of What the Papers Didn't Mean to Say (1968)
  69. Denys Parsons, Funny Amusing and Funny Amazing (1969)
  70. Fritz Spiegl, What the Aussie Papers Didn't Mean to Say (1969)
  71. Amsel Greene, Pullet Surprises (1969)
  72. Ben Trovato, Best Howlers (1970)
  73. Denys Parsons, Fun-Tastic (1971)
  74. Denys Parsons, Even More Fun-tastic (1972)
  75. Denys Parsons, Funny, Funny, Funny (1976)
  76. Richard E Gregory, Knight Book of Howlers (1977)
  77. Patrick Myler, Irish Newspaper Howlers (1978)
  78. Denys Parsons, Funny Ribtickleous and Funny Ridiculous (1979)
  79. Gloria Cooper, Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim, and Other Flubs from the Nation's Press (1980)
  80. Janet Dunbar and Clifford Webb, Laughing Matter (1980)
  81. WD Ian Rolfe, Geological Howlers: Boners and Bloomers (1980)
  82. Denys Parsons, The Best of Shrdlu (1981) (omnibus edition, with ¼ new material)
  83. Gyles Brandreth, Book of Mistaikes (1982)
  84. David Hardy, What a Mistake (1983)
  85. Russell Ash, Howlers (1985) (based on the Howlers books by Cecil Hunt)
  86. R Nielson, Breeding As a Sport: 101 Student Howlers (1985)
  87. Barry Thiering, The Book of Howlers (1985)
  88. Fred Thompson, Recline and Fall: A Teacher's Treasury of Schoolboy Howlers (1986)
  89. Gloria Cooper, Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge (1987)
  90. FAC Lawrence, Classic Classroom Clangers (1987)
  91. Richard Lederer, Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language (1987)
  92. Robin Williamson, Holy Howlers (1987)
  93. William Cooke, Howlers (1988)
  94. Janet Rogers, Hilarious Howlers and Nutty News (1988)
  95. Denys Parsons, Lady with Little Dog Seeks Post (1989) (previously published as The Best of Shrdlu (1981)
  96. Reader’s Digest, Press Clangers and Bloopers (1991)
  97. Jarvis Finger, Did I Really Say That? (1993)
  98. Richard Lederer, More Anguished English: an Expose of Embarrassing Excruciating, and Egregious Errors in English (1993)
  99. John G Muir, The Best of Classroom Clangers (1995)
  100. Richard Lederer, Fractured English (1996)
  101. Alexander Abingdon, Herrings Go about the Sea In Shawls: ...and Other Classic Howlers from Classrooms and Examination Papers (1997) (reprint of the 1931 Boners book)
  102. Patricia J Hunt, Holy Howlers (1999)
  103. Michelle Lovric and Lea Chambers, Latin Stuff and Nonsense (1999)
  104. Richard Lederer, The Bride of Anguished English: A Bonanza of Bloopers, Blunders, Botches, and Boo-Boos (2000)
  105. Vincent Shanley, Classic Classroom Clangers: A Rowdy Assembly of Howlers and Gaffes (2000)
  106. Michelle Lovric, Howlers & Faux Pas: The Awkward Art of the Gaffe and Bloomer(2001)
  107. Denys Parsons, It Must Be True: Classic Newspaper Howlers, Bloomers and Misprints (2002) (collection of howlers from Parsons’ previous books)
  108. Michael O’Mara, The World's Stupidest Headlines (The World's Stupidest series) (2004)
  109. Richard Lederer, The Revenge of Anguished English: More Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language (2005)
  110. Norman McGreevy, Must Try Harder!: The Very Worst Howlers by Schoolchildren (2006)
  111. Vincent Shanley, More Classic Classroom Clangers (2006)
  112. Alexander Abingdon, Boners: Seriously Misguided Facts- According to Schoolkids (2007) (reprint of the 1931 Boners book)
  113. Richard Benson, F in Exams: The Funniest Test Paper Blunders (2008) (added 15 February 2010)
  114. Anders Henriksson, Ignorance is Blitz: Mangled Moments of History From Actual College Students (2008) (published in 2002 as Non Campus Mentis)
  115. (added 11 April 2010)
  116. Richard Benson, Blackboard Blunders: Spelling Slip-ups and Homework Howlers (2009) (added 15 February 2010)
  117. Anders Henriksson, College in a Nutskull: A Crash Ed Course in Higher Education (2010) (added 11 April 2010)
  118. Troy Simpson, Funny English Errors and Insights — Illustrated (2010)

Comments 

 
0 #4 Another bookTroy Simpson 2010-03-18 02:35
I don't know how I missed this one:

Jane O’Boyle, Free Drinks for Ladies with Nuts (2000)
 
 
0 #3 Blackboard Blundersadministrator 2010-01-05 04:08
Recently released (September 2009): Richard Benson, Blackboard Blunders: Spelling Slip-ups and Homework Howlers (Summersdale Publishers)
 
 
0 #2 F in ExamsTroy Simpson 2009-11-27 10:56
Another book to add to the list is Richard Benson, F in Exams: The Funniest Test Paper Blunders (2008).
 
 
0 #1 Add a bookadministrator 2009-11-27 10:50
Do you know any other books we could add to our list? Login to add the title here or to make any other comments.
 

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