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Words from the Heart: An Emotional Dictionary
'MAGIC' JO BRAND
'HAPPIFYING' STEPHEN FRY
'SUSIE DENT IS A NATIONAL TREASURE' RICHARD OSMAN
Whether it's the distress of a bad haircut (AGE-OTORI) or longing for the food someone else is eating (GROAKING), the pleasure found in other people's happiness (CONFELICITY) or the shock of jumping into icy water (CURGLAFF), there are real words to pinpoint exactly how you feel and Susie Dent, Queen of Countdown's Dictionary Corner and lexicographer extraordinaire, is going to help you find them.
Here are 1001 terms everyone needs, whether it's the best kind of hug (CWTCH), the relief found in swearing (LALOCHEZIA), or the ability to endure till the end (PERTOLERANCE).
It's time to rediscover the lost positives of language (and be more GORM); find out how a stork gave us the word for the love between parent and child, and who the first MAVERICK was. Packed with unexpected stories and unforgettable words, on a mission to describe the indescribable, this life-enhancing book will deepen your vocabulary as much as it extends it.
Welcome to the first truly human dictionary, as idiosyncratic and unusual as you are.
'HAPPIFYING' STEPHEN FRY
'SUSIE DENT IS A NATIONAL TREASURE' RICHARD OSMAN
Whether it's the distress of a bad haircut (AGE-OTORI) or longing for the food someone else is eating (GROAKING), the pleasure found in other people's happiness (CONFELICITY) or the shock of jumping into icy water (CURGLAFF), there are real words to pinpoint exactly how you feel and Susie Dent, Queen of Countdown's Dictionary Corner and lexicographer extraordinaire, is going to help you find them.
Here are 1001 terms everyone needs, whether it's the best kind of hug (CWTCH), the relief found in swearing (LALOCHEZIA), or the ability to endure till the end (PERTOLERANCE).
It's time to rediscover the lost positives of language (and be more GORM); find out how a stork gave us the word for the love between parent and child, and who the first MAVERICK was. Packed with unexpected stories and unforgettable words, on a mission to describe the indescribable, this life-enhancing book will deepen your vocabulary as much as it extends it.
Welcome to the first truly human dictionary, as idiosyncratic and unusual as you are.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2022
119 people are currently reading
864 people want to read
About the author
Susie Dent
22 books516 followersDent was educated at the Marist Convent in Ascot, an independent Roman Catholic day school. She went on to Somerville College, Oxford for her B.A. in modern languages, then to Princeton University for her master's degree in German.
Dent is serves as the resident lexicographer and adjudicator for the letters rounds on long-running British game show Countdown. At the time she began work on Countdown in 1992, she had just started working for the Oxford University Press on producing English dictionaries, having previously worked on bilingual dictionaries.
Dent is serves as the resident lexicographer and adjudicator for the letters rounds on long-running British game show Countdown. At the time she began work on Countdown in 1992, she had just started working for the Oxford University Press on producing English dictionaries, having previously worked on bilingual dictionaries.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 22, 2023
More sparkling wit from Susie Dent, if you like interesting words this the perfect rabbit hole for you.
September 30, 2023
A thoroughly comprehensive guide to emotional language, covering well-known, lesser-known, no longer used and foreign words. There are interesting anecdotes about the origins and uses of the words, including some quotes and notes on when they first appeared in texts or in the dictionary. Nicely written and well-readable.
June 1, 2025
This is a fun compendium. It’s great for flipping through to a random page and letting the facts of an entry tantalize one’s imagination or deepen one’s understanding. Some of the words are exotic and incite me to want to use them in everyday speech. For example: “frobly-mobly: indifferently well… is the nineteenth-century equivalent of ‘meh’… it joins similar formulations of the time, including ‘atweesh-and-atween’ and ‘crawly-mawly.” (There are many other words like this in the book).
Other words are exotic, and don’t appear fun or meaningful to re-introduce in everyday life, but like a good pop song, can make one feel vindicated or connected to many other people in light of the fact that there has been a basic word that captures something felt but previously inchoate. For example (also an example that is representative of how Dent often goes off in amusing tangents): “curglaff: the shock of cold water… Scots has a knack of filling gaps in English that you either never quite knew existed, or that would otherwise take an entire sentence to describe. Take ‘dreich’, for example - the one-word evocation of a day that is miserable and wet… A ‘bumble’, meanwhile, is an unsightly bulge in your clothing (perhaps best concealed by a ‘cover-slut’ - seventeenth-century speak for something worn over the top of a garment that is no longer presentable). And so it is with ‘curglaff’… it is made up of the prefix ‘cur-‘, often applied with something or someone goes awry (think curmudgeonly).”
Other times, words are familiar, and learning the etymology is poetic and meaningful. For example: “Crush: a crowd of people pressed closely together; an intense feeling of love…. ‘Crush’ has moved quite nearly from destruction to love in the course of its six centuries… its roots are just as fervent: the Old French cruisser, to ‘gnash one’s teeth’.” Or, words are made up of familiar parts, and it’s surprising that they aren’t so commonly used. For example,
“Mislove: to love the wrong person” and “misdelight: delight in something wrong.” Or, “lickspitte: a parasite or sycophant… namely one that would lick a master’s spittle from the ground if it proved advantageous”
In general, something interesting happens when one encounters an alien term that picks out something that goes on in us deep down. It can be delightful to use such terms, when the synonyms in literal speech, using familiar terms, would be uncomfortable to express (e.g., because it reveals a disturbing part of us; because pointing it out would be a matter of self-pitying). Moreover, it’s touching to think of how people over the centuries and across cultures must’ve dealt with the same everyday experiences, with regards to underlying narrative form, as to explain how they have words to pick out states so familiar to us.
For prospective readers interested in etymology, I'd also highly recommend Mark Forsyth's work. Unlike this book by Dent, his books take one through many narratives, strung together in a stream-of-consciousness sort of manner; and it is absorbing to read through his books, like novels. Dent's work can't be read in one sitting like this, and every entry is a self-standing, like an ordinary reference book.
Other words are exotic, and don’t appear fun or meaningful to re-introduce in everyday life, but like a good pop song, can make one feel vindicated or connected to many other people in light of the fact that there has been a basic word that captures something felt but previously inchoate. For example (also an example that is representative of how Dent often goes off in amusing tangents): “curglaff: the shock of cold water… Scots has a knack of filling gaps in English that you either never quite knew existed, or that would otherwise take an entire sentence to describe. Take ‘dreich’, for example - the one-word evocation of a day that is miserable and wet… A ‘bumble’, meanwhile, is an unsightly bulge in your clothing (perhaps best concealed by a ‘cover-slut’ - seventeenth-century speak for something worn over the top of a garment that is no longer presentable). And so it is with ‘curglaff’… it is made up of the prefix ‘cur-‘, often applied with something or someone goes awry (think curmudgeonly).”
Other times, words are familiar, and learning the etymology is poetic and meaningful. For example: “Crush: a crowd of people pressed closely together; an intense feeling of love…. ‘Crush’ has moved quite nearly from destruction to love in the course of its six centuries… its roots are just as fervent: the Old French cruisser, to ‘gnash one’s teeth’.” Or, words are made up of familiar parts, and it’s surprising that they aren’t so commonly used. For example,
“Mislove: to love the wrong person” and “misdelight: delight in something wrong.” Or, “lickspitte: a parasite or sycophant… namely one that would lick a master’s spittle from the ground if it proved advantageous”
In general, something interesting happens when one encounters an alien term that picks out something that goes on in us deep down. It can be delightful to use such terms, when the synonyms in literal speech, using familiar terms, would be uncomfortable to express (e.g., because it reveals a disturbing part of us; because pointing it out would be a matter of self-pitying). Moreover, it’s touching to think of how people over the centuries and across cultures must’ve dealt with the same everyday experiences, with regards to underlying narrative form, as to explain how they have words to pick out states so familiar to us.
For prospective readers interested in etymology, I'd also highly recommend Mark Forsyth's work. Unlike this book by Dent, his books take one through many narratives, strung together in a stream-of-consciousness sort of manner; and it is absorbing to read through his books, like novels. Dent's work can't be read in one sitting like this, and every entry is a self-standing, like an ordinary reference book.
March 29, 2024
Title: “A Charming Lexicon Adventure”
I recently stumbled upon Susie Dent’s Emotional Dictionary during a delightful charity shop visit. Let me share my thoughts on this gem:
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pros:
Unfamiliar Vocabulary Unveiled: Dent’s book is a delightful exploration of words that often lurk in the shadows. It’s like discovering a secret garden of linguistic treasures.
Charity Shop Serendipity: Finding this book amidst secondhand treasures felt like fate. The serendipity of it all added to my joy.
Book Tabs for Easy Navigation: I, too, added colorful tabs to mark my favorite sections. It’s like creating a personalized roadmap through the lexicon wilderness.
No Annotations (Prune Status Intact): Dent’s engaging prose and witty explanations kept me hooked without the need for scribbles. As a fellow “prune,” I appreciate the sentiment.
Overall Verdict: Susie Dent’s Emotional Dictionary is a charming companion for word enthusiasts. Whether you’re a logophile or just curious about the emotional nuances of language, this book will leave you smiling. Plus, it makes a great conversation starter at literary gatherings!
So, fellow word wanderers, grab your copy, add those tabs, and let the lexicon adventure begin! 📚✨
I recently stumbled upon Susie Dent’s Emotional Dictionary during a delightful charity shop visit. Let me share my thoughts on this gem:
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pros:
Unfamiliar Vocabulary Unveiled: Dent’s book is a delightful exploration of words that often lurk in the shadows. It’s like discovering a secret garden of linguistic treasures.
Charity Shop Serendipity: Finding this book amidst secondhand treasures felt like fate. The serendipity of it all added to my joy.
Book Tabs for Easy Navigation: I, too, added colorful tabs to mark my favorite sections. It’s like creating a personalized roadmap through the lexicon wilderness.
No Annotations (Prune Status Intact): Dent’s engaging prose and witty explanations kept me hooked without the need for scribbles. As a fellow “prune,” I appreciate the sentiment.
Overall Verdict: Susie Dent’s Emotional Dictionary is a charming companion for word enthusiasts. Whether you’re a logophile or just curious about the emotional nuances of language, this book will leave you smiling. Plus, it makes a great conversation starter at literary gatherings!
So, fellow word wanderers, grab your copy, add those tabs, and let the lexicon adventure begin! 📚✨
June 24, 2024
I only got this book because Stephen Fry's review is on the cover though not much of a review since it's just one word. When I got it I was expecting to learn new words describing different emotions but it's just a regular dictionary of words except it's focused on one theme. There were a few new words so it was fun to learn about those words though I doubt I would ever use them.
May 20, 2024
I just skipped through to pick words I liked. There were plenty of common words, but there were also some good ones like frobly-mobly and dardledumdue. Will definitely be using them in future writing 😆
April 23, 2025
One of my favourites by Susie Dent. Enjoyed the scattering of Japanese and German words. Found myself sharing snippets with family. Excellent index (which is vital for reference books). Recommended for any language fan.
June 7, 2023
Another Christmas gift that hit the mark. Bought a copy for a friend for his birthday as well!
July 15, 2023
So many wonderful words! I liked interrobang and Panglossian.
May 14, 2025
fantastic edition to my collection of dictionary's
August 22, 2025
Hard to rate as it’s an occasional pick up and flick through a few pages.
October 24, 2025
I grow more fascinated by language and it's history/ use as I get older. Picked this up at the HayFestival and have slowly indulged in it over several months/ years. Really enjoyed this.
January 29, 2026
My kind of book. Would make a wonderful gift for the one you love.
Saudade.
Saudade.
April 11, 2024
Awesome book, full of wonderful words and their meanings. It is a lovely book to dip in and out of.
October 25, 2022
I am still new to writing book review so find it difficult to review a dictionary how ever being a dictionary of emotional words and feeling I did find this a very interesting book and read it cover to cover found some words I didn’t know and some words I had forgotten there were also words my grand parents had used and this book bought memories flooding back
I read it cover to cover and happy to recommend
I read it cover to cover and happy to recommend
June 20, 2024
I absolutely adore Susie Dent's approach to enlightening us about words. Her method of introducing us to obscure and rare words is fascinating, and the way she delves into the history and etymology behind more common terms is equally captivating. Through her writing, one can truly sense her passion and enthusiasm for the English language. Her pages are imbued with a contagious zeal that transforms the seemingly mundane into something extraordinarily interesting and engaging. Each word she presents is like a little gem, polished by her extensive knowledge and infectious love for linguistics.
What makes her work particularly delightful is the blend of erudition and accessibility. She manages to make even the most complex etymologies understandable and enjoyable, bridging the gap between academic study and everyday appreciation. Her enthusiasm invites readers into a world where words are celebrated, cherished, and explored with boundless curiosity. It's a sheer pleasure to read Susie Dent!
What makes her work particularly delightful is the blend of erudition and accessibility. She manages to make even the most complex etymologies understandable and enjoyable, bridging the gap between academic study and everyday appreciation. Her enthusiasm invites readers into a world where words are celebrated, cherished, and explored with boundless curiosity. It's a sheer pleasure to read Susie Dent!
July 30, 2023
A gift from my friend. Always by the bedside for a perusal of new words. Love it! ❤️
July 2, 2024
This book is heart-warming and warm-hearted. I love it and will keep reading and rereading it for fun AND for reference.
December 14, 2024
Boring
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews