Presented by Victoria Coren, it was companion to the Oxford English Dictionary's Wordhunt, in which the writers of the dictionary asked the public for help in finding the origins and first known citations of a number of words and phrases. The OED panel consisted of John Simpson, the Chief Editor of the OED; Peter Gilliver, who was also the captain of the Oxford University Press team in University Challenge - the Professionals; and Tania Styles, who also appeared in "dictionary corner" in Countdown.
Seasons and episodes
2 seasons · 15 episodes
2
- 1S2 E1
One Sandwich Short Of A Picnic
May 11, 200730 min
The OED thought Balderdash & Piffle were just the people to help out with words relating to madness. And they were right - wordhunters triumphed with all five words and phrases for which the OED needed help.
- 2S2 E2
Man's Best Friend
May 18, 200730 min
Dog has one of the longest entries in the dictionary - thanks to more than 250 different doggy phrases. The OED asked for our help with five of these, and we're wagging our tails to have succeeded with four of them
- 3S2 E3
Euphemisms - The Lace Curtain Of Language
May 25, 200730 min
The OED asked us to investigate how we prefer to call a spade a shoveling implement, especially when talking about sex, death or going to the toilet. They challenged us to help with five euphemisms and we managed four.
- 4S2 E4
Dodgy Dealings
May 31, 200730 min
From prison slang to gangster speak, the dodgy language of the underworld is colourful and inventive. The OED requested help with six dodgy terms and the Wordhunt nailed five of these.
- 5S2 E5
X-Rated
Jun 7, 200730 min
Some of the most thumbed entries in the OED are those containing the naughty words. The Wordhunt tied up four out of the five word mysteries on the list, and - as an off-shoot of the Wordhunt - a word not on the list, 'dogger', was given a
- 6S2 E6
Put Downs And Insults
Jun 22, 200730 min
The OED politely asked us to assist them with five put downs and insults. We sparked changes with evidence for three words on the list.
Starring
Frequently asked questions
- Where can I watch Balderdash and Piffle?
- Balderdash and Piffle is not currently listed on a streaming service in the US. Use the country picker on the page to check other markets.
- How many seasons of Balderdash and Piffle are there?
- Balderdash and Piffle has 2 seasons and 15 episodes. Status: Ended.
- Will there be a new season of Balderdash and Piffle?
- Balderdash and Piffle has ended; no new episodes are scheduled. The final episode aired on July 6, 2007.
- Who stars in Balderdash and Piffle?
- Balderdash and Piffle stars Victoria Coren Mitchell, John Simpson, Peter Gilliver, Mike Harding.
