The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities

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.

Paul Anthony Jones is the author of several books on trivia and language, including The Accidental Dictionary, Word Drops, The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer, Haggard Hawks & Paltry Poltroons and its sequel, Jedburgh Justice & Kentish Fire. He appears regularly in the Telegraph online, BBC Radio 4's World at One, Buzzfeed, the Huffington Post and Mental Floss, and has contributed to the Guardian, Independent and Woman's Weekly, and Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries online. He also runs @HaggardHawks, the hugely popular language-based Twitter account and YouTube channel. He lives in Newcastle upon Tyne.