‘The Etymologicon: The little wonder that left its author lost for words’

Posted on 2012/01/24 , tagged as

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The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth became a Sunday Times No 1. Bestseller last weekend. The Independent has written an article exploring its journey to the well-deserved top spot over the Christmas and its continued success.

‘This year’s proud recipient is Mark Forsyth and his delightful book The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language. Like those bestselling predecessors, it’s essentially a book for viewers of QI, witty and erudite and stuffed with the kind of arcane information that nobody strictly needs to know, but which is a pleasure to learn nonetheless. An example: Farts, he writes, are quickly delivered and slowly forgotten. Any accompanying smell quickly peters out, but did you know that the French word for fart is peter, and that from peter comes petard, which means a little explosive?’

Read the full article here and find out more about the book here.