Stephen Fry hosts four programmes on the joys of the English language - as heard on BBC Radio 4.

Current Puns

Why does our language groan with the weight of puns? What exactly is a pun? And who, or what, is the Thief of Bad Gags?

Metaphor

The English language is chock-full of maritime metaphors: cock up, taken aback, chip on your shoulder, and show a leg. And, with the help of a Greek removals firm, we also find the origin of the word 'metaphor'.

Quotation

The uses and misuses of quotations are revealed, and there is also a frank confession from a quotation compiler, which we cannot divulge here.

Cliché

Featuring sick parrots and the cliché crisis that affected the writing of Flaubert, Joyce, and Eliot, and helped shape modern language and culture.