Alumnus Hugh Kellett publishes The Dictionary of Posh

An illustration from The Dictionary of Posh

Exeter alumnus Hugh Kellett (1974, Modern Languages) has published The Dictionary of Posh. Complete with illustrations, the dictionary is a tongue-in-cheek guide to the nuances and peculiarities of the spoken language of posh people.

Hugh Kellett’s dictionary reveals how a single word can mean two completely different things, depending on the pronunciation. “Mention”, for example, means “remark upon” to most people, but for speakers of Posh it means a large house. Say “Ace” and speakers of Posh will think you are referring to something you use to chill your gin and tonic.

The dictionary is brought to life through marvellous illustrations by Oliver Preston and through helpful examples of the use of Posh words that, collectively, create a narrative of a very posh family, The Fall and Rise of an Important Family. 

This fun book is published by Quiller and available to buy now.

Mr Kellett has also recently published a short story based on an imaginary tutorial at Oxford, called The Essay. The story won second prize in the Askance Publishing short story competition and is available to read online here.