[Yudster]

You asked for ways in which the language has developed! Both of them have developed different styles and, to be fair, Jane Austen (my fave all time author) was just an early runner to modern chick lit and Aga Saga! Don't forget Joanna Trollope is Anthony Trollope's great, great (great?) niece!

All true. I wasn't criticising, but I'm still not convinced that chick lit and Aga sagas are the best things to point to in establishing how language has developed and grown. They use it in a certain and identifiable way, yes, but I don't think they've contributed anything to it's development.

You missed the Bonk-Buster - what about Jackie Collins? June Flaum-Singer (she's actually a very good writer)? Jackie Collins in particular has pushed certain areas of language to their acceptable limits I reckon!

[S4B]

Ahh have you not been watching Balderdash and Piffle though (when it was on) many modern words that we KNOW have been used for years have no written usage until a few years ago so they could very well have been in the public domain for much longer. Many old documents did not survive and not many people could write back then so even less chance of them being captured in the written form. Shakespeare gets attributed with many things, a large number of which shouldn't be attributed to him - including writing all of those plays single handed!

[MK Chris]

Now you are getting into conspiracy theory territory S4B.

[foot-loose]

Road..... hurry.......... generous..... critic........ obscene..........suspicious....... exposure.

These words are considered as being first used by Shakespeare, he may not necessarily have invented them personally though..... Foots McDoodle is right, he pioneered the usage of tons of words, but my minds gone blank at the moment.

Wooo.

I was talking pish.

[S4B]

Now you are getting into conspiracy theory territory S4B.

Great new novel coming out in the new year http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesw ... ku=5924582

[Vivienne]

Seems a good book I get my books from Amazon, however.

[MK Chris]

It's frustrating ordering from Amazon; I'd like to just nip up the road and collect it from their warehouse, but they don't allow that.

That said, I bought a load of stuff on there today.

[Console]

I bought my Wii from Amazon a few weeks ago; they said it would take two weeks to get it to me, but it was in my hands within four days. The only problem that I have with Amazon (excluding stupid patents) is that they don't affiliate with Quidco.

[Vivienne]

I didn't find Amazon frustrating at all ?? They are only a recent discovery for me. They have a jewellery section, I see, which suits me. I'm gonna get some earrings off it soon.

What is "Quidco"?

[S4B]

Seems a good book I get my books from Amazon, however.

I am going off you again Viv! Our service is just as good and our prices are now very competetive! You can also earn points now to give you even more discounts!

[Vivienne]

oooh... points! Didn't know Waterstones did points!

[S4B]

Well we do! 3 points to a pound and you don't need to have enough to pay for a whole book you can use them as part exchange

[Console]

What is "Quidco"?

Quidco is the web's cashback cooperative. Quidco collects referral commissions from online merchants and passes them all on to our members. The Quidco cooperative is a cashback revolution where members keep their full earnings in exchange for giving Quidco £5 out of their earnings once a year.

[MK Chris]

I didn't find Amazon frustrating at all ??

Well, the warehouse isn't just up the road to you. I was half jesting, but it'd be better if they let you collect.

They are only a recent discovery for me.

You're kidding, right?

Seems a good book I get my books from Amazon, however.

I am going off you again Viv! Our service is just as good and our prices are now very competetive! You can also earn points now to give you even more discounts!

I still preferred Ottakars.

[S4B]

Ottakar's is no more - get over it!

[claradooblue]

The Waterstones's in Birmingham city centre was rammed with elderly people this lunchtime. That was frustrating. I was impressed by the fact that the staff were playing Arcade Fire though.

[Vivienne]

They are only a recent discovery for me.

You're kidding, right?.

Er... no, I'm actually not kidding. I was aware of the existence of the site, but have only recently begun using it. I'm not that keen on internet transactions.

[MK Chris]

That's a bit better then, the statement implied you'd never heard of them.

[Sunny So Cal]

I can't stand Bill Bryson. My misguided mother in law bought The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid for me last Christmas - I tried to like it, I really did, but I nearly died of boredom trying. He writes reams and reams about nothing, and he doesn't even do it entertainingly. He is very dull.

His new book was very dull. However, the Short History of Nearly Everything is brilliant