The history of insults - Nathan Joyce

History lessons have never been so hilarious thanks to this collection of insults through the ages - the targets of your barrage of vintage invective won't know what's hit them.

Ever wanted to 'air the lungs (1)' like a cowboy or dreamed of channelling the wit of Shakespeare to deliver that killer put-down to an Elizabethan fustilarian (2)? Are you too much of a medieval scobberlotcher (3) to realise this ambition? Well, you're in luck, becauseThe History of Insultshas some of the finest put-downs of all time - starting with the Ancient Romans and Greeks and working through the centuries to modern times. This means you can dish out the best burns to bacon-fed bell swaggers (4) to your heart's content. As they used to say in 19th-century London, 'It's more than enough to make a stuffed bird laugh!'

(1) Swear; (2) Scoundrel; (3) Lazy person; (4) Fat, loudmouth bullies