The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities: A Yearbook of Forgotten Words

The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities: A Yearbook of Forgotten Words by Paul Anthony Jones

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.

The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities: A Yearbook of Forgotten Words - About the Author

Paul Anthony Jones was born in South Shields in 1983. He is the author of four books: 'The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer' (2012); both 'Haggard Hawks & Paltry Poltroons' (2013) and its sequel, 'Jedburgh Justice & Kentish Fire' (2014); and language fact book 'Word Drops' (2015). 'Haggard Hawks' has since been featured in both The Guardian and The Huffington Post, and has spawned its own popular word-related Twitter account, @HaggardHawks, which was named one of Twitter's best language accounts by Mental Floss magazine in 2014. The daily word and language facts of the @HaggardHawks account inspired 'Word Drops: A Sprinkling of Linguistic Curiosities', published by Elliott & Thompson in April 2015.

Besides his interest in etymology and language, Paul is also a classically trained pianist. He lives in Jesmond in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he drinks far too much coffee and reads far, far too many books.