Paul Anthony Jones

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.

A Yearbook of Forgotten Words

The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities

From 'meliorism' to 'stound', 'carpe noctem' to 'opsimathy', these beguiling words will delight and inspire, soothing your soul and easing your mind.

Soothing Words for Troubled Times

The Cabinet of Calm

Brimming with hidden histories and tantalizing 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; glamor was magic, and a cupboard was a table. Buxom used to mean obedient; a cloud was a rock; raunchy originally meant dirty. Focusing on one hundred 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 Remarkable Twists and Turns of English Words

The Accidental Dictionary

If you're logofascinated, you are literally spellbound by language. Word Drops is a language fact book unlike any other, its linguistic tidbits all falling together into one long interconnected chain just with each fact neatly 'dropping' into place beside the next. What's more, throughout, footnotes are used to give 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 jäääär 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). 'Brilliant for anyone interested in the effervescent oddness of English' --Stig Abell

A Sprinkling of Linguistic Curiosities

Word Drops

'Brilliant for anyone interested in the effervescent oddness of English' --Stig Abell on Word Drops 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 tales behind how 80 different places came to be immortalised in our language. Beginning in London and heading through Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Americas, then back to London again, each chapter leads into the next like a travelogue. As well as the origins of turkeys, brazil nuts, limericks and Panama hats, there's the story of how a small Czech village gave us the word dollar; how a tiny hamlet in Nottinghamshire became Gotham City; how an island with more bears than people gave us hooch; and how Stellenbosch, a South African town, became a verb meaning to demote someone on the sly. Our dictionaries are full of hidden histories, tales and adventures from all over the world - if you know where to look. Beautifully designed, consistently entertaining and ideal for dipping into, Around the World in 80 Words is the perfect gift: a whimsical voyage through the far-flung reaches of the English language.

A Journey Through the English Language

Around the World in 80 Words

A beautiful and irresistible collection of trivia for wordsmiths and lovers of language -The former Greek currency, the drachma, literally means "handful." -The "bowl" formed by cupping your hands is called a gowpen; the amount it holds is called ayepsen. -The earliest known reference to a bowling alley dates from 1555. -During the First World War, Germans were nicknamed Alleymen. -In Navajo, Germany is called Bééch Bich'ahii Bikéyah—or "metal cap-wearer land." Word Drops is an intriguing and surprising compendium of 1000 facts about words, language, and etymology. Leading us through a smattering of unexpected connections and weird juxtapositions, Paul Anthony Jones reveals facts and tidbits about words that reveal much, too, about cultures and histories around the world. Each "drop" leads in some way to the next; and many are enhanced by discursive and entertaining footnotes, taking the reader off into wild flights of fancy about Tudor England, for example, before leading on to World War I and the Navajo language. This is an immensely pleasurable and unpredictable collection that is guaranteed to raise eyebrows (the literal meaning, incidentally, of supercilious).

"A fabulous and erudite survey of words inspired by place names . . . Logophiles will have a ball." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) What makes a place so memorable that it survives forever in a word? In this captivating round-the-world tour, Paul Anthony Jones is 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. "Don't skip the footnotes, which are like delicious side dishes." — Times Literary Supplement

A Journey through the English Language

Open The Cabinet of Calm to find a comforting word that's equal to your troubles. Beginning with the griefs or discomforts we all feel on difficult days, Paul Anthony Jones offers us a matching linguistic remedy: fifty-one soothing words for troubled times. These kind words - alongside their definitions and their stories - will calm and inspire; comfort and delight; and provide fresh hope. Written with a trademark lightness of touch, The Cabinet of Calm shows us that we're not alone. 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.

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. Not for sale in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, or Canada

Extinction Point

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; glamor was magic; and a cupboard was a table. Buxom used to mean obedient; a cloud was a rock; raunchy originally meant dirty.Focusing on one hundred 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.

A fascinating exploration of the nuts and bolts of human language. 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 to the numbers that follow them? Admittedly, that's probably a question you've never thought to ask. 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 language's most intriguing words and phrases have long proved popular, but they often overlook the true nuts and bolts of our languages: the origins 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? redresses that balance, and explores many complex yet fascinating linguistic disciplines across its chapters, each exploring a question you've likely never thought to ask. Praise for The Cabinet of Calm 'I love this gifty and gorgeous compendium of beguiling words from which you can select to soothe the troubles that afflict you... [A] warm bath of linguistic remedies.' Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller (Editor's Choice: May 2020) 'Fantastic . . . Exactly the book that everybody needs.' Simon Mayo

The Origins, Oddities and Mysteries of Language

Why Is This a Question?

Did you know... ...that the oldest tree in Wales is a yew in Llangernyw in Conwy, thought to be around 4,000 years old? ... that London is one of only three cities worldwide to have hosted both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games? ... that Ebenezer Place in Wick, Caithness, is officially recognised as the shortest street in the world, at a mere 206 cm (81 in.) in length? From a Scottish waterfall three times the height of Niagara Falls to the last foreign invasion of Britain and the birthplace of the first Oscar-winning Welshman, The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer brings together hundreds of remarkable facts and feats each pertaining to a different location from across Britain and Ireland. As much an accessible and informative reference book as it is an entertaining miscellany, it aims to expand our knowledge of these extraordinary islands while uncovering and celebrating some of their most remarkable people and places.

A Trivia Gazetteer

The British Isles

Everything About the Origins and Oddities of Language You Never Thought to Ask

What do the following ten words all have in common - haggard, mews, codger, arouse, musket, poltroon, gorge, allure, pounce and turn-tail? All fairly familiar and straightforward words, after a little digging into their histories it turns out that all of them derive from falconry: the adjective haggard described an adult falcon captured from the wild; mews were the enclosures hawks were kept in whilst moulting; codger is thought to come from 'cadger', the member of a hunting party who carried the birds' perches, and so on. This, essentially, is what Ten Words is all about - the book collects together hundreds of the most intriguing, surprising and little known histories and etymologies of a whole host of English words. From ancient place names to unusual languages, and obscure professions to military slang, this is a fascinating treasure trove of linguistic facts.

The Origins of English in Ten Words

Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons

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. "A real delight ... hidden gems nestle on every page" -- JaffaReadsToo "The Accidental Dictionary is certainly worth adding [to a bookshelf]... I knew very few of these, which is a good thing, and now I know more, which is a better one" -- Marcus Berkmann, Spectator Christmas books 2016

Paul Anthony Jones

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