The Father Of British Howlers

Howlers by children have appeared in newspapers, magazines and books since the late nineteenth century. But their appeal really took off in the United Kingdom with the publication in 1928 of The Best Howlers by Cecil Hunt, a British journalist, writer and anthologist.

After the success of this first collection, Hunt wrote Hand-Picked Howlers in 1937, Ripe Howlers in 1937, and More Hand-Picked Howlers in 1938. These books have been re-issued many times, both during his lifetime and following his death in 1954.

Here are a few examples taken from his books and published in magazines:

Lourdes is a cricket ground in London.

The River Rhine flows horizontally until it reaches Basle, and then it flows vertically.

Parsimony is money left by your father.

Tarzan is a short name for the American flag. Its full name is Tarzan Stripes.

The best thing for a drowned person is to tie his tongue under his chin and make him walk about or else keep him warm and give him something better than brandy.