1-Minute read: Don’t be a goggler

Brussels Stockel metro station mural designed by Hergé

Are you stuck with a whippersnapper at work? Do you have a friend who's a blunderbuss? Were you at a bash that was filled with jobbernowls? Honestly, we'd be happy to continue with this review by borrowing phrases and terms from Albert Algoud's delightful ode to Herge's most beloved character, Captain Haddock. It is almost impossible to imagine the Tintin series without the exclamation-loving seafarer who made his first appearance along with the Belgian sleuth in 1941. Over the years, the regularly intoxicated (and hence) bumbling captain's lexicon has regaled legions of fans of the series, panning generations. For this writer who fed on the duo's adventures in her childhood, using some of his unique terms, our favourites being - "billions of blue blistering barnacles" and "thundering typhoons" - led to many a hilarious reaction from friends and schoolmates. In fact, we almost felt like a superior species, or should we say ‘toffee-nosed' [to behave with an unwarranted superior manner] while doling out these gems.

This new title encapsulates all his iconic utterances from A to Z, and uses a lucid, contextual approach to ease new readers into the goings-on in this ‘madhouse' [sorry, we can't control ourselves]. Algoud peppers phrases and words with references from the particular Tintin adventure, making it a fun rewind journey for diehard followers. While you're bound to find common words because they appear throughout the series, it is the insults that leave us in splits, and take us back to those memories when we discovered a new favourite detective in a faraway land. Apart from Herge's classic artwork, there are black-and-white illustrations that add to the visual joyride. It's a keepsake, especially if you'd like to ace the art of literary insults.

Title: Blistering Barnacles
Author: Albert Algoud
Genre: Humour
Publisher: Harper Collins
Cost: Rs 899