The history of British slang goes back centuries, with many new words originating from working class Londoners, immigrants, criminals, sailors, and soldiers. It was the 1960s that saw perhaps the greatest explosion of British slang into the world's lexicon, thanks to the popularization of London's Swinging Sixties culture by newspapers like The Sunday Times and Vogue. Influential authors such as Ian Fleming and Terry Southern used this language in their writings and created more interest among foreign readers in learning about it. However, one magazine stood above all others for introducing British slang to an international audience - Playboy. The publication was founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and quickly became known for its high quality photography, fiction, non-fiction articles, and interviews with celebrities. It also featured erotic images of nude women taken by photographers like Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, and Annie Leibovitz. This unique blend of provocative material made Playboy one of the most influential magazines ever published and helped make British slang terms like 'shag', 'knickers', and 'bloke' become household names around the globe.
Playboy's influence extended beyond just sexually explicit stories or pictures; its writers used inventive turns of phrase to describe everyday activities in a way that felt fresh and exciting. For example, instead of saying "I'm going shopping," they might say "I'm off to do some retail therapy." They would refer to someone who is dishonest as being "full of shit" or call someone who is unattractive a "dog". These phrases soon became commonplace amongst young people worldwide. While other publications focused on serious journalism or politics, Playboy brought a new level of sophistication to pop culture writing by employing clever wordplay and metaphors. One such example is from an article entitled "The Art of Cunnilingus", where the author describes how he once went through several packs of cigarettes during an all-night session. The writer writes: "It was then I realized that the pleasure had been worth it - not only because my mouth was now redder than a cherry but because I had discovered something about myself that night."
Many people believe that this kind of humorless approach to life has given rise to a decline in creativity among today's youth, which is ironic considering the magazine's popularity with younger readers when it first started out. However, there's no denying the impact that Playboy had on British slang, especially after its circulation hit 7 million copies per month at one point. Playboy editorial director Bob Guccione once said: "We don't just want you to read our stories; we want you to live them too." This attitude towards language made British slang seem accessible and fun, leading many Americans to start using phrases like 'knickers', 'shag', and 'bloke'. Today, these terms have become so commonplace they appear in movies, television shows, books, and even everyday conversation. Without Playboy's influence, it's hard to imagine what modern English would sound like without its unique brand of wit and intelligence.