Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words
Sign in to keep track of books you’ve read and want to read.
Josefa Heifetz Byrne's book gathers words that most readers will never have met: rare, odd and frankly silly terms from the English language, each given a definition and a playful note. Arranged like a standard dictionary, it is meant as much for enjoyment as for study. Browsing it turns up words for obscure objects, peculiar states of mind and ornate turns of speech, and the entries are often as entertaining as they are informative. It suits anyone who loves words, reads for pleasure or enjoys collecting curious vocabulary.
Liked Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words? Here’s where I’d start.
These suit anyone who liked Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.
-
The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate Shares language, nonfiction, writing -
They Have a Word for It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words & Phrases Shares language, nonfiction, linguistics -
An Exaltation of Larks: The Ultimate Edition Shares nonfiction, language, linguistics -
The Joy of Lex Shares language, nonfiction, words
“People who read Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words tend to reach for these next.”
-
Verbatim: From the bawdy to the sublime, the best writing on language for word lovers, grammar mavens, and armchair linguists
-
The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon
-
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
-
The Dord, the Diglot, and an Avocado or Two: The Hidden Lives and Strange Origins of Common and Not-So-Common Words
