Summary:
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.
Review:
This type of book is usually catnip for someone like me, one who loves to find out word origins and all the interesting trivia about our weird and wonderful language. And for the most part, this book fit the bill. It’s broken into chapters by subject matter, so you can jump around and find one that piques your interest. The book covers such subjects as words related to criminality, sex, violence–as well as delving into the origins of words that are mundane today but have roots that might surprise you.
As much as the subject interests me, I found myself lagging a couple of times as I read through it. I think that’s because the author wavers back and forth as far as how technical the explanations get. At times, the word origins dig deep into the etymology, using linguistic terms such as back-formation that aren’t immediately explained in the text. Sometimes, you can figure out what is meant by context, but since I’m someone who has read books on linguistics and know (or at least can intuit) what most terms mean, I’m not sure I’m the best judge of how understandable the terms would be to someone without my background.
The book works best when it takes a more irreverent tone, giving a word’s origins and the path it took to get where it is today while using humor to get the meaning across. That’s more what I expected out of this book when I picked it up, and definitely what I expected when reading the forward. I think that the entries that get overly technical could put people off, and that would be a shame. Understanding where some of the words in our language come from could spark readers to think more carefully about the words they use.
Overall, I would recommend this book, with the caveat that some parts may give a bit more info than readers might want. Basically, if a word nerd like me finds my interest waning at times, a casual reader might find it more difficult to push through. Do give it a go, though, as there’s a lot to be learned from looking at the roots of words that we use in English. Being more mindful of our conversational choices can only be to the good.
Description nicked from the publisher.
This book was a personal purchase.
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