The Superior Person's Book of Words

The Superior Person's Book of Words #1

by Peter Bowler

Are you an Anglophile? (Stout fellow!) Just stand at this springboard and leave the fields of popinjay jabber and tongue-stumped battology behind forever! Stop up for big dividends in the giddy heights of superior speech. Peter Bowler will teach you the practical riches of saying it well with good words, neglected words, and precise words for vocabular exultation!

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Language, Humor, Writing, Linguistics, Words

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, Peter Bowler appears to represent the position I mocked in an earlier post, that command of a larger vocabulary is a means to social advancement, and can be acquired by reading a book full of fancy words. Fortunately, closer reading of his introduction to this short, amusing, book reveals a refreshing tongue-in-cheek attitude. I can imagine that the author's smart aleckness could lose its appeal over the long haul, but it works quite well in a book of this size (500 words defined; 178 pages). Mr Bowler is a self-professed logophile:

".. if words are weapons, they are also toys. They are fun to play with... "

who doesn't take himself too seriously:

"Pronunciations are not given ... The reader who genuinely wishes to equip himself with the vocabulary of a Superior Person should be prepared to submit to the intellectual discipline of finding out the pronunciations for himself."

Two sample entries should be enough to convey the flavor of the book:

abecedarian insult "Sir, you are an apogenous, bovaristic, coprolalial, dasypygal, excerebrose, facinorous, gnathonic, hircine, ithyphallic, jumentous, kyphotic, labrose, mephitic, napiform, oligophrenial, papuliferous, quisquilian, rebarbative, saponaceous, thersitical, unguinous, ventripotent, wlatsome, xylocephalous, yirning, zoophyte". Translation: "Sir, you are an impotent, conceited, obscene, hairy-buttocked, brainless, wicked, toadying, goatish, indecent, stable-smelling, hunchbacked, thick-lipped, stinking, turnip-shaped, feeble-minded, pimply, trashy, repellent, smarmy, foul-mouthed, greasy, gluttonous, loathsome, wooden-headed, whining, extremely low form of animal life."

gralloch (verb): To disembowel a deer. From the Gaelic word for intestines. The existence of the term implies the prevalence of the act, which the author assumes to be one of the pastimes of the English upper classes, along with fox-chasing, train-spotting, and bird-murdering.

Breadth of coverage: 3 out of 5 (only 500 words)
Scholarship: 4 out of 5 (Bowler adopts a breezily authoritative tone, without necessarily providing all the details, but there are no obvious signs that he doesn't know his stuff)
Usability: 3.5 out of 5. No guide to pronunciation, but points for including often-hilarious suggestions for use in a sentence, e.g., under 'limaceous' (sluglike) "Keep your hands to yourself, you limaceous endomorph!"
Charm: 3.5 out of 5

Total: 14 out of 20.
A solid 3.5-star effort, rounded up to 4 stars.

[C.]

One of my best friends gave me this book for my birthday (last year? Or the year before? Sometimes I think I'm a really bad friend) and I've been putting off reading it since I got it because I don't want to be disappointed - somehow I feel like I would be an even worse friend if I didn't like it.

Because I usually find this type of book disappointing. One is fatigued by the endless parade of words, words that will hardly ever be used by anyone, words that if they are ever used will be met with an impenetrable wall of incomprehension. I find that depressing. Also the wit stops being funny after a while.

My problem is that I have an urge to read every book from cover to cover. It's not that severe an urge, but impossible to restrain completely. Textbooks are the worst. It's hard to study effectively when you want to read every single word in the book, even the ones that don't relate to the course.

So for this book, a compromise: I will read it from cover to cover, but only a few words each night before I go to bed. I will not immerse myself in it fully, for that will destroy its charm. Last night I read the introduction and the first word. Things are promising so far: the dust cover is pristine and uncreased, pure and white and it smells new. I can't remember the last time I read a brand new hardcover book. The tactile pleasure of the experience is so far more than enough to sustain my interest.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, love this little gem of a book. For a while I took it with me everywhere and sniggered at the most inappropriate times. Quirky, snide, sheepish and so underhandedly clever you're left foolishly grinning into space for a good while after putting it down. Then again, if you do that often anyway, this book is the perfect excuse.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

My (online and real-life) friend Rae of Powerful Women Readers shared a fabulous book with me in June, The Superior Person's Second Book of Weird & Wondrous Words by Peter Bowler, and I enjoyed it so much I immediately wrote a blog post about it and sought out a copy of the first book.

I'm delighted to reveal that The Superior Person's Book of Words is just as delightfully snarky as the second book. Here are a couple of my favorite words.

How about this word? It's truly wondrous.

QUIDDITY n. The essence of something; literally, its whatness. One might say that the quiddity of a quiddity is its quirkish, quizzical, quibbling quaintness.

We all know someone like this, don't we?

SATRAP n. A petty or subordinate ruler with despotic powers within his own realm. An assistant principal, bus driver, motor-vehicle inspector, or headwaiter.

How about this one?

KEDOGENOUS adj. Brought about by worry, or anxiety. Useful for excuses. "I'm awfully sorry, darling, but I'm afraid I seem to have another of my kedogenous headaches."

And there are illustrations sprinkled throughout the book. Okay, one more.




And now I need to pass along this book to Rae, don't you think?

I wonder if there's a third book...

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess it's just me, because everyone else seemed to love this book, but I found it tedious and wanted to slap the author a few times. Sure, I learned a few really good words, and I do love words. But most of the words are impossible-to-remember obscurities. Worse, some of them are words everyone knows, included to give the author an excuse to go off on some cranky old man rant. His humor is broad, sexist, and unsubtle, mostly turning on the tired concepts of shopaholic wives, nagging mothers-in-law, and messy little brothers. The tone got old quick. Also, there were no pronunciation guides, so even if I manage to remember some of these words, I will probably be pronouncing them wrong. (But then, who's going to correct me? No one else knows how to pronounce them, either.)

[Roland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of odd words that you'll never end up using. Anyone can compile a list of words, but the way Bowler suggest their use for insulting others and his definitions are enough to make this a must read for "word nerds."

[Laurie Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many words, so little time--and infrequent occasion--to use the particularly peculiar or delightfully delicious-- yet mostly obscure-- vocabulary introduced.

[Chriss · Rating 4 out of 5]

You may be raising an eyebrow and wondering what could be so fun about reading a dictionary, but this isn’t your dry and dull New Collegiate or Websters. Superior Person’s Words is written with a tongue-in-cheek wit and eye to the practical. This is one dictionary that doesn’t just tell you definitions for hard words, it gives you practical guidance and creative suggestions for their use; from the insult-obscure to calling in sick, from confusing people to complimenting them.

A full review, with excerpts from the book, is on my blog.

[Andromeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

No doubt the book contains a number of old-fashioned, literary, and even obsolete words that have not only fallen out of use and favour, but which even native speakers of English might not understand: I find it well worth the time and effort for anyone who loves words.

The book contains a fine selection of recherché words with precise meanings that have long been forgotten, yet are still useful today. Readers weary of clichés and banal expressions will find the book’s presentation of synonyms a delightful way to overcome the tedium that pervades much of today’s novels and non-fiction writing.

[Semi-Academic Eric]

My dad, apparently a superior person, had this book on his treadmill. Although I'm a little turned off by the appeal to being better than others, I find wordplay and language quite interesting. Maybe there's not enough of us that do, so the author and editor of this volume are trying to sell more of these books by making you think that this will help you advance in esteem beyond those who have not learned your erudite vocabulary.

[Mary JL · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but amusing and interesting book of word definitions. Good research; and some very amusing examples make this a fun, quick read for any "Word-Grubber".**

**Word-grubber. Noun. One who is particular about the fine points of word usage and who himself uses long and unusual words in everyday speech. An 18th century slang term.

Recommended for any reader who likes word origins.

[SmarterLilac · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential for the aspiring or accomplished word nerd.

[Terrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hysterical. I love the way the author takes obscure words and had fun with them

[Marie Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun little book of words with great descriptions and suggested uses. let's see how many I can recall now...

[Hope Irvin Marston · Rating 3 out of 5]

If words fascinate you, you'll love this book. It's the perfect gift for your word-grubber friend. And if you don't know what that term means, read the book to find out. Along your journey you'll meet 499 other words. I was familiar with about one in ten. I laughed my way though the 1985 edition. Not only did I increase my vocabulary, but I also leaned how to get the upper hand by using new words that give the reader the upper hand because your listener doesn't understand you're putting him down. Truthfully I wouldn't use them as weapons---because I wouldn't remember them when they could have come in handy.

[Joseph Wetterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author and I disagree on some matters of philosophy and taste but — most importantly, as he might point out — we agree on a love of Superior Words. The work here is educational, amusing, and rather often off-color. Not for readers without a good sense of humor.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moliminous volume, saporous for any linguaphile.

[Yves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book you dip into rather than read from start to finish so it was on the sideboard a very long time.

[Liaken · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like words, these books are recommended. I got both when I was in high school because my grandmother, who loved words, died. And I was the one chosen to go to her apartment and clear out the books, so I got first dibs. I picked up The Superior Person's Book of Words, and then saw that there was second. I took them home and read them, laughed heartily, and even actually used some of the words with hilarious results.

P.S. If I remember correctly, there is a bit of "poor taste" humor, but mostly it's great fun.

[The Bookish Wombat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definition of this book = money for old rope. It's a list of what the author says are rare and under-used words with the implication that the reader won't have heard of them. However, anyone who reads relatively widely would have come across most if not all of them.

Each word is accompanied by its meaning and a "humorous" aside on how to use it. These "jokes" would appear to come from the 1950s - in many cases they're sexist and in some cases in poor taste.

[Nyte Visions · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think it was nearly as clever, witty, humorous or funny as the author intended. I did come across several new words that I never knew existed. It was a slow read, but I pushed through it. I think the book is better to be glanced at, picking a page at random from time to time, than to read cover to cover.

[Franco]

Funny book. The Australian author gives humorous examples of word usage by poking fun at his sister and British people in general. The 500 words described are so obtuse as to not be very useful. I knew some of them and learned a few more that I may use. Such as, 'Ah my gracile girlfriend, how are you?'

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a complete kick! I seriously laughed all the way through it. I would recommend this for people with languages or literature. I had to reread so many of these entries twice to make sure that I was understanding them and they were funnier the second time!

Have a grand time reading this one, readers!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad rues the day he left this book unhidden. Bowler is the most awesome kind of asshole. You wish you were that clever, and so do I. (Clever enough to write such a book, not clever enough to hide books from an eight year old.)

[Rebecca Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two different friends independently gave me copies of this book as gifts. Hmmm... Does this mean they think I am a superior person, or do they think I THINK I'm a superior person?? Strange... But a neat little smorgasbord of unusual words for word foodies, nevertheless.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably suitable for regifting. An enjoyable enough read, some interesting words, but the commentary was not quite clever enough for me. The author seemed to be trying too hard - these sorts of things need to be more effortless. Does that mean I am superior or not? One needs to know.

[sologdin · Rating 3 out of 5]

very comical. early caveat lector, indicating that perhaps the text at points lacks candor, means that some of the jokes are at the reader's expense. probable therefore that one should look up the terms herein in the OED prior to their deployment.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this twice now - it's really funny. I'd forgotten what it was and thought it was another collection of obscure words, but no, it's an incredibly sarky book about being silly and annoying everyone around you with your superior vocabulary. Great fun.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My tattered copy has been picked up more than once by a student looking for a silent reading book in a pinch. Favorite words, Lesion, boondoggle, and palinoia. I know this because that is where the book pops open. Ok it could just be the "L"s "B"s and "P"s.

[Scott Suthren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant joy to read.