Prose & Cons: The English Language in Just a Minute

By Gyles Brandreth

As fans of Just a Minute know, the key to the game is knowing your way around the English language: how it works, how it's evolved, and how words connect, often in surprising ways. When it comes to the English language (and Just a Minute), Gyles Brandreth has seen it all and now he's ready to put you through your linguistic paces, to become a Just a Minute expert yourself.

In this wildly entertaining A to Z of verbal acrobatics, Gyles takes you on a whirlwind tour of our mother tongue, from the origins of words and correct grammar and punctuation, to similes, euphemisms and record breaking tongue twisters (try getting your mouth around floccinaucinihilipification ). An idiosyncratic blend of history, word play, anecdote, and hyperbole, all in 60-second instalments, this is Gyles Brandreth at his word-perfect, Just-a-Minute best. You'll never mix your metaphors again...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1785946838
• ISBN13: 9781785946837
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: BBC Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.7"