THE Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities: A Yearbook of forgotten words
By: Paul Anthony Jones
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.belies the depth of research it contains, this is both a fascinating compendium of etymology and a delightfully entertaining miscellany.
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A treasure-trove of rare words … beautifully designed (that shade of blue is wonderful), and perfect either for dipping into every morning to learn a new word of the day, or for reading at a rather more headlong pace, as I found I was doing once I dipped my head into this wonderful cabinet of language trivia
- Dr Oliver Tearle, InterestingLiterature.com -
Cracking open its beautifully crafted cover is like peeking into an old, mysterious cabinet … The book’s conceit is brilliant, the writing is crisp, and the tales are well-chosen and captivating
- Mashed Radish
