Imprint
- Chambers
English, Language: history & general works, Encyclopaedias & reference works, Humour, Gift books
From bodily functions to the dirtiest insults onto war and weaponry to illicit substances, this book goes where no dictionary has dared go before. It is the only adults-only etymology dictionary.
The English language is where words go to be tortured and mutilated into unrecognizable shadows of their former selves. It's where Latin, Greek, and Germanic roots are shredded apart and stitched unceremoniously back together with misunderstood snippets of languages snatched from the wreckage of conquest and colonialism. It wreaks merciless havoc upon grammar and spelling. It turns clinical terms into insults and children's tales into filthy euphemisms.
With an emphasis on understanding where the foulest words in the English language came from-and the disgusting and hilarious histories behind them-this book demonstrates the true filth of our everyday words. But this book is more than just a list of vulgar words and salacious slang. It's a thoughtful analysis of why we deem words as being inappropriate as well as revealing 'good words' that have surprisingly naughty origins.
Dirty-minded word nerds and lewd linguistics lovers will derive unadulterated pleasure in leering at the origins of swear words, sexual lingo, inappropriate idioms, violent vocabulary, and terminology for bodily functions-not to mention the unexpectedly foul origins of words you thought were perfectly innocent. If it's inappropriate, stomach-churning, uncomfortable, or offensive, this book reaches into the dark recesses of history and exposes them for all to see.
True to the Chambers brand, this book combines humour, scholarly research and a beautiful design. It is a book to enjoy, collect and revisit time and time again.
Praise for Words from Hell: Unearthing the Darkest Secrets of English Etymology
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A well-researched but still easily digestible book about the etymology of some of our most commonly used words. The author thoroughly covers the salacious words expected from a book titled "Words from Hell" and very common words with extremely unexpected origins (see: vanilla, shark, dragon). I appreciate that the author doesn't present the work as just a list of words but provides such great research while also infusing her personality. Favorite quote: "Clitoris: Congratulations, you've found it!" If that doesn't want to make you read this I don't know what will. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader copy. - NetGalley
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A Smorgasbord.. A veritable smorgasbord of linguistic delights in this well researched, often amusing and always fascinating book of words, meanings and mash ups. The real meanings of the foulest sounding words, the horrible histories of often everyday language and from the downright inappropriate to the outright sublime. It's all here in well ordered and entertaining fashion. - NetGalley
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As someone who is fascinated by etymology, this was so fun. It's broken down into a few main chapters that form general categories (for example: swear words, supernatural words, violence words, etc.) and then each chapter is an alphabetical list of many terms and a brief explanation of their origin. Some words have clear histories, and some have multiple theories, and the author did a good job making the difference clear. If you're a word nerd who loves stuffing their brain with little fun facts, you'll definitely enjoy this! (As long as you don't mind reading lots of crude language, because that's literally the topic of the book) Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! - NetGalley
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This is the perfect book to prepare yourself to "Ackchyually..." your friends. Your friends will then hate you and you will no longer have any friends. In short, this is a book to study if you want more alone time. All jokes aside. I found this to be an interesting book where I could discover where the more colorful words in our language came from. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in language and writing. - NetGalley
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