diff --git a/pygam/__init__.py b/pygam/__init__.py
index 912d3fd8..e6f332d7 100644
--- a/pygam/__init__.py
+++ b/pygam/__init__.py
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@
 from pygam.terms import f
 from pygam.terms import te
 from pygam.terms import intercept
+from pygam.terms import from_formula
 
 __all__ = ['GAM', 'LinearGAM', 'LogisticGAM', 'GammaGAM', 'PoissonGAM',
-           'InvGaussGAM', 'ExpectileGAM', 'l', 's', 'f', 'te', 'intercept']
+           'InvGaussGAM', 'ExpectileGAM',
+           'l', 's', 'f', 'te', 'intercept',
+           'from_formula']
 
 __version__ = '0.8.0'
diff --git a/pygam/terms.py b/pygam/terms.py
index 117584b4..9b873ffa 100644
--- a/pygam/terms.py
+++ b/pygam/terms.py
@@ -1820,13 +1820,97 @@ def te(*args, **kwargs):
 
 intercept = Intercept()
 
+
+def from_formula(formula, df, coerce=True, verbose=False):
+    """
+    Pass a (patsy / R like) formula and data frame and returns a terms object that matches
+    If only a name is given a spline is assumed
+    :param formula:
+    :param df:
+    :param coerce: Whether to try to convert any invalid characters in the dataframe's column names to underscores `_`
+    :param verbose: Whether to generate outputs about the processing
+    :return:
+    """
+    import re
+
+    def regex_contains(pattern, string):
+        return re.compile(pattern).search(string) is not None
+
+    # Required input validation
+    if '~' not in formula:
+        raise AssertionError('Formulas should look like `y ~ x + a + l(b)')
+
+    invalid_chars = '+-()'
+    are_bad_cols = [bool(set(invalid_chars).intersection(set(col_name))) for col_name in df.columns]
+    if any(are_bad_cols) and coerce is False:
+        raise AssertionError(
+            '`df` columns names cannot have {invalid_chars} in their names. Try setting `coerce=True`'.format(
+                invalid_chars=invalid_chars
+            )
+        )
+    elif any(are_bad_cols) and coerce:
+        # I know this can be optimised since I know where the bad cols are
+        new_column_names = []
+        for term_name in df.columns.tolist():
+            for to_replace in invalid_chars:
+                term_name = term_name.replace(to_replace, '_')  # type: str
+            new_column_names.append(term_name)
+        df.columns = new_column_names
+
+    target_name, terms = formula.split('~')
+    target_name, terms = target_name.strip(), [term.strip() for term in terms.split('+')]
+    if verbose:
+        print('target name: {}'.format(target_name))
+        print(terms)
+
+    if len(terms) == 0 or (len(terms) == 1 and next(iter(terms), '') == ''):
+        # Bad formula
+        raise AssertionError('Check input formula {}'.format(formula))
+
+    # Check for the simplest of all possible formulas. Early terminate here.
+    linear_term_pattern = r'l\(.*?\)|L\(.*?\)'
+    factor_term_pattern = r'c\(.*?\)|C\(.*?\)'
+    spline_term_pattern = r's\(.*?\)|S\(.*?\)'
+
+    if terms[0] == '*':
+        term_list = intercept
+        for i, term_name in enumerate(df.columns):
+            if target_name in term_name:
+                continue
+            term_list += s(i)
+        return term_list
+    else:
+        term_list = intercept
+        for term in terms:  # type: str
+            if regex_contains(linear_term_pattern, term):
+                if verbose:
+                    print('{} -> linear term'.format(term))
+                term = re.sub(r'(l\()|(L\()|\)', '', term)
+                term_list += l(df.columns.tolist().index(term))
+            elif regex_contains(factor_term_pattern, term):
+                if verbose:
+                    print('{} -> factor term'.format(term))
+                term = re.sub(r'(c\()|(C\()|\)', '', term)
+                term_list += f(df.columns.tolist().index(term))
+            elif regex_contains(spline_term_pattern, term):
+                if verbose:
+                    print('{} -> spline term'.format(term))
+                term = re.sub(r'(s\()|(S\()|\)', '', term)
+                term_list += s(df.columns.tolist().index(term))
+            else:
+                if verbose:
+                    print('{} -> assumed spline term'.format(term))
+                term_list += s(df.columns.tolist().index(term))
+        return term_list
+
+
 # copy docs
 for minimal_, class_ in zip([l, s, f, te], [LinearTerm, SplineTerm, FactorTerm, TensorTerm]):
     minimal_.__doc__ = class_.__init__.__doc__ + minimal_.__doc__
 
 
-TERMS = {'term' : Term,
-         'intercept_term' : Intercept,
+TERMS = {'term': Term,
+         'intercept_term': Intercept,
          'linear_term': LinearTerm,
          'spline_term': SplineTerm,
          'factor_term': FactorTerm,
diff --git a/pygam/tests/test_terms.py b/pygam/tests/test_terms.py
index e4a5c5a4..632d5a5e 100644
--- a/pygam/tests/test_terms.py
+++ b/pygam/tests/test_terms.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from copy import deepcopy
 
 import numpy as np
+import pandas as pd
 import pytest
 
 from pygam import *
@@ -15,6 +16,29 @@ def chicago_gam(chicago_X_y):
     gam = PoissonGAM(terms=s(0, n_splines=200) + te(3, 1) + s(2)).fit(X, y)
     return gam
 
+def test_from_formula_bad_formula():
+    """Formulas must look like patsy formulas
+    """
+    dummy_df = pd.DataFrame(columns=['SystolicBP', 'Smoke', 'Overwt'])
+
+    for formula_i in ['Smoke + Overwt', 'SystolicBP ~']:
+        with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+            from_formula(formula_i, dummy_df)
+
+    assert from_formula('SystolicBP ~ Smoke + l(Overwt)', dummy_df) is not None
+
+
+def test_from_formula_bad_cols_names():
+    """Make sure all bad columns are either detected and properly coerced
+    """
+    bad_df = pd.DataFrame(columns=['Systolic-BP', 'is_smoker', 'Over+wt'])
+
+    with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        from_formula('Systolic-BP ~ *', bad_df, coerce=False)
+
+    assert from_formula('Systolic_BP ~ *', bad_df)
+
+
 def test_wrong_length():
     """iterable params must all match lengths
     """