The Meaning of Liff

Douglas Adams & John Lloyd

It is somehow becoming that today on ”The towel's day” eve something of Douglas Adams is published. At least every enlightened intergalactic reader should expect commemorative sign fourteen days after anniversary of D.A. unexpected death in 2001. That unexpected fact gives even more meaning to life. Actually to relish each instant of our lives. Carpe diem. The problematic part of this story is that everyone knows that he should enjoy every moment of his short life, but in reality it is hard to carry out. Mostly we are occupied with trifles and not enjoying the nitty – gritty. Therefore I found important to study this book and come to an end with reflections about the meaning of existence.

Let's come to the nitty- gritty of this booklet. ”In Life (and indeed in liff), there are many hundreds of common experience, feelings, situations and even objects which we all know and recognize, but for which no words exist. On the other hand, the world is littered with thousands of spare time doing nothing but loafing about on signposts pointing at places. Our job, as we see it, is to get these word down of the signposts and into the mouths of babes and sucklings and so on, where they can start earning their keep in everyday conversation and make a more positive contribution to the society.”

Let me point to some examples of this unusual dictionary.

Chenies (pl.n.)

The last few springs or tassels of last Christmas’s decorations you notice on the ceiling while lying on the sofa on an August afternoon.

NYBSTER (n.)

Sort of a person who takes the lift to travel one floor.

Whaplode drove (n.)

A homicidal golf stroke.

Winston-salem (n.)

A person in a restaurant who suggests to their companions that they should split the cost of the meal equally, and then orders two packets of cigarettes on the bill.

Skenfrith (n.)

The flakes of athlete's foot found inside socks.

Sligo (n.)

An unnamed and exotic sexual act which people like to believe that famous film stars get up to in private. “To commit sligo.”

Clovis (q.v.)

One who actually looks forward to putting up the Christmas decorations in the office.

Kentucky (adv,)

Fitting exactly and satisfyingly.

The cardboard box that slides neatly into an exact space in a garage, or the last book which exactly fills a bookshelf, is said to fit “real nice and kentucky”.

Liff (n.)
A book, the contents of which are totaly belied by its cover. For instance, any book the dust jacket of which bears the words "This book will change your life."

etc.