This isn’t your usual etymology book. Here you’ll find the histories of words relating to swearing, body parts and functions, sexuality, insults, slurs, racism, ableism, pirate talk, war and all things supernatural.
I found a few new favourites along the way, most notably brainsquirt, a word used about 350 years ago meaning “a feeble or abortive attempt at reasoning.” There’s also ignivomous, “spitting or vomiting fire”.
Then there were surprises, like discovering that in the 14th century, bowel meant tenderness or compassion.
The word “shark” (or “sharker”) first appeared in English in the 1400’s, and at that time it meant “scoundrel”, “villain” or “swindler”. It wasn’t a word for the animal in English until the 1700’s.
My favourite part of this book was the folktale about the jack-o’-lantern, where Jack successfully tricks Satan more than once, but at a price.
In hindsight, it probably would have been better if I’d dipped in and out of this book over a few weeks, reading about a handful of words each time. Reading from cover to cover, I ended up a bit bogged down.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Chambers, an imprint of John Murray Press, for the opportunity to read this book.
Once Upon a Blurb
The English language is where words go to be tortured and mutilated into unrecognisable 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.
Schizanthus Nerd 