Author Lynne Truss found literary fame and fortune with her best-seller on the use of correct English.

Now another Brighton-based writer is hoping to strike gold with his book on the most incorrect use of English.

Language teacher Jonathan Chamberlain has spent months researching his opus Vulgar English & Sex Slang, which he thinks will help foreign language students get by in our increasingly coarse country.

With 2,000 words for penis, 1,500 synonyms for breasts and well over a 1,000 different variations on the f-word, it is a world away from Mrs Truss' punctilious guide to punctuation.

Mr Chamberlain, 54, said: "Language teaching is split into two, those who believe students should only learn to talk properly and those who feel they should deal with the real world. I firmly belong to that second group.

"Twenty years ago, we could afford to ignore this area of language but not any more. The question is no longer is it acceptable to teach this vocabulary? Now the question is is it acceptable not to teach it?"

Mr Chamberlain came up with the idea for his profanosaurus when he returned to his home city after working in Hong Kong for more than 25 years.

He was taken aback by the everyday use and acceptance of what was once obscene, especially in the advertising world.

He said: "A new men's magazine is called Nuts. Valentine Day cards scream Shag Me. Suddenly it's okay to have a huge corporation playing name games. FCUK - French Connection United Kingdom - has become a very visible brand enjoying the shock value of crossing the boundaries of what used to be taboo.

"Two of its products are FCUK eyes (make up) and FCUK spirit (alcopop). How do you pronounce those names? For that to be considered acceptable at executive board level there must have been a sea change in attitudes."

Although amusingly illustrated and designed by husband and wife team Simon Smith and Chrissie Sloan, Mr Chamberlain has written the 352-page book as a normal textbook. Every vulgar word and phrase is defined and an example is given of its use.

He admits having enjoyed his research, achieved by mining the mire of his own mind, asking family and friends and worrying staff at newsagents.

He said: "It was great confusing the girls on the tills by buying up a load of gay magazines and the firmly heterosexual top-shelf ones at the same time.

"But it was the only way I could discover the most recent slang. When I first thought about the vulgar vocabulary of English, I thought it would consist of maybe a few hundred words and phrases. I have since discovered that there are more than 2,000 euphemisms for the penis and well over a thousand for the vagina."

The book will be available by advanced order at www.vulgarenglish.com