Ass

A Linguistic Journey

Ass. A word so small it barely qualifies as a syllable, yet so powerful it can start fights, end friendships, intensify adjectives, and describe everything from donkeys to dump trucks.

In Ass: A Linguistic Journey, we dive cheeks-first into the absurd, hilarious, and surprisingly enlightening history of English’s most versatile monosyllable. From its humble beginnings in Old English and Latin livestock to its modern glory as internet slang, ass has kicked, kissed, busted, dragged, and memed its way into every corner of the language.

With wit sharper than a smartass comeback and research deeper than a squat, this book explores how “arse” became “ass” (and why America won the butt war), why you can “kick ass,” “laugh your ass off,” and be a “dumbass” all in the same sentence, and the rise of thicc-ness, GYATTs, and dump trucks in modern meme culture.

Whether you’re a linguist, a word nerd, or just someone with a strong appreciation for peach emojis, this book will crack you up and teach you something you didn’t know about the backside of the English language.

©2025 David Lilly (P)2025 David Lilly