What is a bumbershoot? Or a moonbow? And what does it mean when someone absquatulates...? Find out all this and more in The Dictionary of Difficult Words.
Test your knowledge with more than 400 words to amaze, confuse and inspire budding wordsmiths (and adults). All of the words featured in this book are difficult to spell, hard to say and their meanings are obscure to most children (and most adults)! You can master them with the simple, easy-to-understand definitions and pronunciations written by lexicographer (yes, that's in there too!) Jane Solomon. Fun, colourful illustrations add whimsy to the pages.
Some jobbernowls say dictionaries are anachronistic, or even obsolete, but it's kenspeckle to real bibliophiles that those vociferous ninnyhammers are just metagrobolised by the plethora of portmanteaus, neologisms and jargon they offer. Next time you find yourself wrangling with one of these ultracrepidarians, no need to imagineer a sockdolager: just show them this book.
This captivating dictionary celebrates the beauty of the English language for family trivia time spent around the printed page.
The Dictionary of Difficult Words is an illustrated dictionary of useful, fun, obsolete/obsolescent, weird, wonderful, and difficult words. Due out 2nd May 2019 on Quarto's Frances Lincoln imprint, it's 112 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. Author Jane Soloman is a professional lexicographer and iconographer. Artist Louise Lockheart's quirky illustrations give an enthusiastic feeling to the listings (see cover art).
This would have appealed to me immensely as a kid. I have always loved language and the incredible richness of English especially. This would make a superlative library book or gift for the sesquipedalian person in your life, adults and youngsters alike.
Five stars. Really fun and worthwhile.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
