This book investigates the linguistic gap between common, everyday experiences and the lack of specific vocabulary to describe them. Rich Hall, a comedian and writer, utilizes his background in observational humor to curate a collection of invented words, or 'sniglets,' designed to fill these lexical voids. The text argues that language should evolve to accommodate the mundane frustrations and oddities of modern life through creative neologisms.

Readers frequently note the lighthearted and accessible nature of the prose, which serves as a staple of 1980s observational comedy. Experts highlight this as a foundational text for the popularization of wordplay-based humor in contemporary media.