‘The stocking filler of the season.’ Robert McCrum on The Etymologicon in the Observer

Posted on 2011/11/13 , tagged as

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Robert McCrum, left, associate editor of the Observer, has some high praise for Mark Forsyth’s book today.

‘The Etymologicon (the word is Milton’s) links sausages and botulism, testicles and the Bible, even Bikini Atoll and Godzilla,’ he writes. ‘In 250 pages crammed with cross-references, this inky fool has given the nation’s quizzers the stocking filler of the season. How else to describe a book that explains the connection between Dom Pérignon and Mein Kampf.’

McCrum’s full piece is here and there’s more about The Etymologicon here.