Earnest The Earwig

All sorts of creatures appear in books - rabbits, dogs, mice, and even ladybirds - but there are no earwigs! Ernest decides to put this right, with surprising and hilarious results . . .

This story has been influenced by real life escapades involving the author's two Rag Doll cats, Mr. Butters and Mr. Kitty, SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED and Alex the plumber. Mr. Butters is the elder of the two and he is sleek, majestic and fastidious in nature, whereas Mr. Kitty is rotund, greedy, scruffy and suffers occasionally from an ailment described by SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED as 'CHOCBOT''. These feline companions love gourmet dining and are delighted when SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED is discomforted as a result of their antics. The story invites the reader to share their dreams, fantasies and adventures involving Harold the Huntsman spider, Ernest the most enormous Earwig, the feral cat, and the Tradesmen from Hell. SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED engages in a never-ending battle with both Kits to sleep undisturbed, but is frequently outwitted by the relentless Mr. Butters in his endeavours to establish himself as the head of the household, whilst Mr. Kitty is preoccupied, in his dreams at least, in maintaining his role as the 'King of the Cool Kits' and ultimately King of the World.

Third Language Dictionary is a guide to everyday language that is peculiar to and used by Australian folks from all walks of life no matter what or who they are or the level of success, education, credence, or place in society they have attained.

First published in 1949 (this edition in 1968), this book is a dictionary of the past, exploring the language of the criminal and near-criminal worlds. It includes entries from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, as well as from Britain and America and offers a fascinating and unique study of language. The book provides an invaluable insight into social history, with the British vocabulary dating back to the 16th century and the American to the late 18th century. Each entry comes complete with the approximate date of origin, the etymology for each word, and a note of the milieu in which the expression arose.