Name: The Etymologicon
Rating: 4.1 (30 reviews)
ISBN: 9780425260791

Mark Forsyth

Unauthorized guide to the underpinnings of the English language.

A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

The Etymologicon

THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER. 'Witty and erudite ... stuffed with the kind of arcane information that nobody strictly needs to know, but which is a pleasure to learn nonetheless.' Nick Duerden, Independent. 'Particularly good ... Forsyth takes words and draws us into their, and our, murky history.' William Leith, Evening Standard. The Etymologicon is an occasionally ribald, frequently witty and unerringly erudite guided tour of the secret labyrinth that lurks beneath the English language. What is the actual connection between disgruntled and gruntled? What links church organs to organised crime, California to the Caliphate, or brackets to codpieces? Mark Forsyth's riotous celebration of the idiosyncratic and sometimes absurd connections between words is a classic of its kind: a mine of fascinating information and a must-read for word-lovers everywhere. 'Highly recommended' Spectator.

A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

Pierre

Not very rigorously researched, but quite entertaining. Recommended for anyone interested in the origins of common words and phrases. 

Ashlyn

Sarah Escorsa

This is a fantastic read and probably the most interesting book I have read so far this year. I love words and their hidden meanings so this book was a great find. I enjoyed Mark Forsyth’s writing a lot. At first it all seems a bit chaotic (with the origin of one word kind of slipping to the next) but I got used to it and ended up liking it a lot. Forsyth is an amusing writer and doesn’t take himself seriously, which is refreshing for this kind of book. It is entertaining, funny and educational and the type of book you can’t help reading excerpts from to anyone within earshot. I would love to quote snippets from The Etymologicon right here but I’m afraid Goodreads doesn’t allow that many characters in a review.

A must-read for anyone who loves words.

Jade Flynn

'A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language'.
- (it does exactly what it says)

SO GOOD! Without a doubt I'll be picking up Forsyth's 'The Horologicon' sometime later on in the year!

THE SUNDAY TIMESNUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 'Witty and erudite ... stuffed with the kind of arcane information that nobody strictly needs to know, but which is a pleasure to learn nonetheless.' Nick Duerden, Independent 'Particularly good ... Forsyth takes words and draws us into their, and our, murky history' William Leith, Evening Standard The Etymologiconis an occasionally ribald, frequently witty and unerringly erudite guided tour of the secret labyrinth that lurks beneath the English language. What is the actual connection between disgruntled and gruntled? What links church organs to organised crime, California to the Caliphate, or brackets to codpieces? Mark Forsyth's riotous celebration of the idiosyncratic and sometimes absurd connections between words isa classic of its kind: a mine of fascinating information and a must-read for word-lovers everywhere. 'Highly recommended.' Spectator

The Etymologicon A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

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