'As entertaining as it is engrossing' John Banville 'Enlightening, delightful' Arthur der Weduwen, author of The Library Why don’t eleven and twelve end in –teen? The rest of our counting system sits in neatly arithmetical sets of ten, so why do these two rulebreakers seem so at odds with the numbers that follow them? Admittedly, that’s probably a question that might never have occurred to you. But if you’re even remotely interested in the origins and oddities of language, it’s likely also a question you’re now intrigued to know the answer to. Nor is it the only question: take a moment to think about how our language operates and even more spring mind. Why do these letters look the way they do? Why are some uppercase and others lowercase? Why are these words in this order? How are you understanding what these seemingly arbitrary shapes and symbols mean, while doubtless hearing them read to you in a voice inside your head? And what is this question mark really doing at this end of this sentence? Books explaining the origins of our most intriguing words and phrases have long proved popular, but they often overlook the true nuts and bolts of language: the origins of our alphabet and writing system; grammatical rules and conventions; the sound structure of language; and even how our brains and bodies interpret and communicate language itself. Why Is This a Question? is a fascinating and enlightening exploration of linguistic questions you’ve likely never thought to ask. ‘Every page will make you stop, think and wonder.’ James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of England ‘Enthralling, with a riveting “who knew?� moment on nearly every page.’ Caroline Taggart, author of Humble Pie and Cold Turkey

How well do you know your words?; Buxom used to mean obedient; A cloud was a rock; Raunchy originally meant dirty; Brimming with hidden histories and tantalising twists, The Accidental Dictionary tells the extraordinary stories behind ordinary words.; Our everyday language is full of surprises; its origins are stranger than you might think. Any word might be knocked and buffeted, subjected to twists and turns, expansions and contractions, happy and unhappy accidents. There are intriguing tales behind even the most familiar terms, and they can say as much about the present as they do the past.; Busking, for instance, originally meant piracy. Grin meant to snarl. A bimbo was a man, nice meant ignorant, glamour was magic and a cupboard was a table...; Focusing on 100 surprising threads in the evolution of English, The Accidental Dictionary reveals the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today. It is a weird and wonderful journey into words.; So, let's revel in its randomness and delight in its diversity - our dictionary is indeed accidental.

The ultimate gift for wordsmiths and lovers of language: a word for every day of the year; Open the Cabinet to leap back in time, learn about linguistic trivia, follow a curious thread or wonder at the web of connections in the English language.; 1 January quaaltagh (n.) the first person you meet on New Year's Day; 1 April dorbellist (n.) a fool, a dull-witted dolt; 12 May word-grubber (n.) someone who uses obscure or difficult words in everyday conversation; 25 September theic (adj.) an excessive drinker of tea; 24 December doniferous (adj.) carrying a gift; Paul Anthony Jones has unearthed a wealth of strange and forgotten words: illuminating some aspect of the day, or simply telling a cracking good yarn, each reveals a story. Written with a light touch that belies the depth of research it contains, this is both a fascinating compendium of etymology and a captivating historical miscellany. Dip into this beautiful book to be delighted and intrigued throughout the year.

'As entertaining as it is engrossing' John Banville 'Enlightening, delightful' Arthur der Weduwen, author of The Library Why don't eleven and twelve end in -teen? The rest of our counting system sits in neatly arithmetical sets of ten, so why do these two rulebreakers seem so at odds with the numbers that follow them? Admittedly, that's probably a question that might never have occurred to you. But if you're even remotely interested in the origins and oddities of language, it's likely also a question you're now intrigued to know the answer to. Nor is it the only question: take a moment to think about how our language operates and even more spring mind. Why do these letters look the way they do? Why are some uppercase and others lowercase? Why are these words in this order? How are you understanding what these seemingly arbitrary shapes and symbols mean, while doubtless hearing them read to you in a voice inside your head? And what is this question mark really doing at this end of this sentence? Books explaining the origins of our most intriguing words and phrases have long proved popular, but they often overlook the true nuts and bolts of language: the origins of our alphabet and writing system; grammatical rules and conventions; the sound structure of language; and even how our brains and bodies interpret and communicate language itself. Why Is This a Question? is a fascinating and enlightening exploration of linguistic questions you've likely never thought to ask. 'Every page will make you stop, think and wonder.' James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of England 'Enthralling, with a riveting "who knew?" moment on nearly every page.' Caroline Taggart, author of Humble Pie and Cold Turkey

If you're logofascinated, you are literally spellbound by language.; This surprising compendium of 1,000 facts about words, language and etymology is here to inspire your curiosity and delight in discovery. In Word Drops, you can delve into a smattering of unexpected connections and weird juxtapositions, stumble upon a new or remarkable word, or learn of many a bizarre etymological quirk or tall tale.; - Did you know that the bowl made by cupping your hands together is called a gowpen?; - And speaking of bowls, the earliest known reference to bowling in English dates from 1555, when bowling alleys were banned by an Act of Parliament.; - And that ties in nicely with the fact that the English called the Germans 'Alleymen' during the First World War.; - But in Navajo, Germany is called Beesh Bich'ahii Bikeyah-or 'metal cap-wearer land'.; Word Drops is a language fact book unlike any other, its linguistic tidbits all falling together into one long interconnected chain just like the example above with each fact neatly 'dropping' into place beside the next.; What's more, throughout, footnotes are used to give some informative and intriguing background to some of the most bizarre facts, covering everything from traditional Inuit games to the origin of the Bellini cocktail, from the precise length of one 'jiffy' to what the Romans thought hoopoe birds ate, and from what to expect on a night out with Dr Johnson to Samuel Pepys's cure for a hangover. Want to know the longest palindrome in Morse code, or who The Great Masticator was? Curious to know what Norwegian steam is, or what a jaaaar is? The answers are all here.; For all of the logofascinated among us, this is an immensely pleasurable and unpredictable collection that is guaranteed to raise eyebrows (the literal meaning, incidentally, of supercilious).

From Monte Carlo to Shanghai, Bikini to Samarra, Around the World in 80 Words is a whimsical voyage through the far-flung reaches of the English language.; What makes a place so memorable that it survives for ever in a word? In this captivating round-the-world jaunt, Paul Anthony Jones reveals the intriguing stories of how 80 different places came to be immortalised in our language.; Beginning in London and heading through Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas, you'll discover why the origins of turkeys, Brazil nuts, limericks and Panama hats aren't quite as straightforward as you might presume. You'll also find out what the Philippines have given to your office in-tray; what an island with more bears than people has given to your liquor cabinet; and how a tiny hamlet in Nottinghamshire became Gotham City.; Surprising and consistently entertaining, this is essential reading for armchair travellers and word nerds. Our dictionaries are full of hidden histories, tales and adventures from all over the world - if you know where to look.

Open The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities and you'll find both a word and a day to remember, every day of the year. Each day has its own dedicated entry, on which a curious or notable event--and an equally curious or notable word--are explored. On the day on which flirting was banned in New York City, for instance, you'll discover why to "sheep's-eye" someone once meant to look at them amorously. On the day on which a disillusioned San Franciscan declared himself Emperor of the United States, you'll find the word "mamamouchi," a term for people who consider themselves more important than they truly are. And on the day on which George Frideric Handel completed his 259-page Messiah after twenty-four days of frenzied work, you'll see why a French loanword, literally meaning "a small wooden barrow," is used to refer to an intense period of work undertaken to meet a deadline. The English language is vast enough to supply us with a word for every occasion--and this linguistic "wunderkammer" is here to prove precisely that. So whatever date this book has found its way into your hands, there's an entire year's worth of linguistic curiosities waiting to be found.

'It's fantastic ... Exactly the book that everybody needs...' Simon Mayo _____ Sometimes we all need a little reminder that it's going to be okay... Open The Cabinet of Calm to discover a comforting word that's equal to your troubles. The Cabinet of Calm has been designed to be picked up whenever you need a moment of serenity. Just select the emotion listed that reflects whatever you're feeling and you'll be offered a matching linguistic remedy: fifty-one soothing words for troubled times. These kind words - alongside their definitions and their stories - will bring peace, comfort and delight, and provide fresh hope. Written with a lightness of touch, The Cabinet of Calm shows us that we're not alone. Like language, our emotions are universal: someone else has felt like this before and so there's a word to help, whatever the challenge. So much more than a book of words, The Cabinet of Calm will soothe your soul and ease your mind. It's the perfect gift. _____ From inside The Cabinet Of Calm... 'RESPAIR': a word for a renewed or reinvigorated hope, or a recovery from anguish or hopelessness. 'WORLDCRAFT': a collective term for the unique skills, wisdom and experience that an older person has amassed in their lifetime. 'MELIORISM': the belief that all things, no matter how bad, can always be improved - given enough determination from people willing to improve them. 'SYMMACHY': the act of joining or working together to produce a stronger force than could ever be managed individually - especially in order to overcome something that affects us all.

From aardvark to zenzizenzizenzic, Word Drops collects a thousand obscure words and language facts in one fascinating chain of word associations. Did you know, for example, that scandal derives from the Latin for “stumbling block� and originally described a trap for a wild animal? In nineteenth-century slang a wolf trap was a corrupt casino. Casino means “little house� in Italian. Roulette means “little wheel� in French. A wheeler is someone who attends auctions to bid on items merely to increase their sale price. Such links take readers on an unexpected journey through linguistic oddities. Inspired by the popular @HaggardHawks Twitter account, Word Drops also uses an intriguing series of annotations to add background and historical context on everything from Anglo-Saxon cures for insanity to Samuel Pepys’s cure for a hangover. This unique book will delight anyone who loves language, etymology, and word games.

Sometimes we all need a little reminder that it's going to be okay... Open The Cabinet of Calm to discover a comforting word that's equal to your troubles.; The Cabinet of Calm has been designed to be picked up whenever you need a moment of serenity. Just select the emotion listed that reflects whatever you're feeling and you'll be offered a matching linguistic remedy: fifty-one soothing words for troubled times.; From 'melorism' to 'stound', 'carpe noctem' to 'opsimathy', these kind words - alongside their definitions and their stories - will bring peace, comfort and delight, and provide fresh hope.; Written with a lightness of touch, The Cabinet of Calm shows us that we're not alone. Like language, our emotions are universal: someone else has felt like this before and so there's a word to help, whatever the challenge.; So much more than a book of words, The Cabinet of Calm will soothe your soul and ease your mind. It's the perfect gift.

What makes a place so memorable that it survives forever in a word? In this captivating round-the-world tour, Paul Anthony Jones acts as your guide through the intriguing stories of how eighty places became immortalized in the English language. You'll discover why the origins of turkeys, limericks, Brazil nuts, and Panama hats aren't quite as straightforward as you might presume. If you've never heard of the tiny Czech mining town of Ja chymov-or Joachimsthal, as it was known until the late 1800s-you're not alone, which makes its claim to fame as the origin of the word "dollar" all the more extraordinary. The story of how the Great Dane isn't all that Danish makes the list, as does the Jordanian mountain whose name has become a byword for a tantalizing glimpse. We'll also find out what the Philippines has given to your office inbox, what Alaska has given to your liquor cabinet, and how a speech given by a bumbling North Carolinian gave us a word for impenetrable nonsense. Surprising, entertaining, and illuminating, this is essential reading for armchair travelers and word nerds. Our dictionaries are full of hidden histories, tales, and adventures from all over the world-if you know where to look.

Did you know that Jedburgh Justice is 'executing someone first, then giving them a trial'? Or that Kentish Fire is 'applauding sarcastically to silence your opponents'? From the author of Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons, this is a fascinating collection of curious phrases and expressions from the English language, together with the stories of their etymology and anecdotes about their use in history. Where Haggard Hawks focused on lists of ten words of a particular kind, this collection instead focuses on lists phrases and expressions, also arranged by their quirky and specific origins. The contents will include: 10 PHRASES DERIVED FROM PLACES IN BRITAIN (Jedburgh justice, Kentish fire, Scarborough warning...) 10 PHRASES DERIVED FROM PLACES IN LONDON (A draught on the pump at Aldgate, Kent Street ejectment...) 10 PHRASES DERIVED FROM PLACES IN AMERICA (Hollywood yes, Michigan bankroll, Chicago Overcoat...) 10 LATIN PHRASES USED IN ENGLISH (Quid pro quo, nunc est bibendum...) 10 FRENCH PHRASES USED IN ENGLISH (La vie en rose, C'est la guerre, Revenons a nos moutons...) 10 SHAKESPEAREAN EXPRESSIONS (Gild the lily, Salad days, All that glitters is not gold...) 10 LITERARY EXPRESSIONS (A thing of beauty is a joy forever, Abandon hope all ye who enter here...) 10 PHRASES FROM COMICS & CARTOONS (Keep up with the Joneses, Mutt and Jeff...) 10 PHRASES FROM SONGS (Miss Otis regrets, The birds and the bees, Potato po-tah-to...) 10 WAYS OF SAYING 'WOW' (Great Scott, My stars, Mamma mia...)