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The Logodaedalian's Dictionary of Interesting and Unusual Words
A collection of unusual words defined and used in context from the works of myriad authors
What do wierd and wonderful words such as oology and photic (used by the likes of Nabokov and Beckett, Anthony Burgess and John Fowles) actually mean?
In the past you had to look in the bulkiest, most expensive dictionaries to find out. Now, in this informative and hugely entertaining book, more than 1,300 fascinating words--erotic, poetic and abusive, from abaxial to zoophiliac--are clearly defined (with examples from major writers).
If you're in pursuit of fulgent logodaedaly (dazzling skill with words), you can enrich your incondite (unpolished) prose. Better still, you'll be able to impress your friends with your brilliant vocabulary without making a complete balatron of yourself!
What do wierd and wonderful words such as oology and photic (used by the likes of Nabokov and Beckett, Anthony Burgess and John Fowles) actually mean?
In the past you had to look in the bulkiest, most expensive dictionaries to find out. Now, in this informative and hugely entertaining book, more than 1,300 fascinating words--erotic, poetic and abusive, from abaxial to zoophiliac--are clearly defined (with examples from major writers).
If you're in pursuit of fulgent logodaedaly (dazzling skill with words), you can enrich your incondite (unpolished) prose. Better still, you'll be able to impress your friends with your brilliant vocabulary without making a complete balatron of yourself!
- GenresReference
356 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 9, 2022
George Saussy obviously likes good creative writing, with special attention to strange words. His collection of such words forms this books. Each word comes with a quote showing its usage. Several are words I would be glad to add to my vocabulary (PALPEBRAL: concerning the eyelids; GOWPEN: cupped hands). Others I was glad to be reacquainted with. But several things detract from my appreciation of this book.
1. Many of the entries are neologisms by recent authors. This meshes okay with an interest in unusual words but doesn't work well for my own vocabulary building. Worse, many of the neologisms are not identified as such, so I don't know without checking other sources whether I can expect others to know a particular word.
2. Several of the words have more than one meaning, where Saussy gives one one. In at least one case (INSTAR), Saussy gives the meaning, "to make something a star", but the illustrative quote uses the word in its other, completely different sense of a stage in insect growth.
3. The book generally falls short in performing the functions of a dictionary. Only rarely are pronunciations or etymologies given; the quotes, while good examples of writing, don't always illustrate the use of the word; it is sometimes uncertain whether the word should be treated as foreign or capitalized; and as noted above, even the definitions are sometimes inadequate.
4. Saussy's reading includes a lot of erotica, and a disproportionate number of entries have prurient appeal.
The dictionary is nice for browsing, but I would not use words from it without first checking other sources.
1. Many of the entries are neologisms by recent authors. This meshes okay with an interest in unusual words but doesn't work well for my own vocabulary building. Worse, many of the neologisms are not identified as such, so I don't know without checking other sources whether I can expect others to know a particular word.
2. Several of the words have more than one meaning, where Saussy gives one one. In at least one case (INSTAR), Saussy gives the meaning, "to make something a star", but the illustrative quote uses the word in its other, completely different sense of a stage in insect growth.
3. The book generally falls short in performing the functions of a dictionary. Only rarely are pronunciations or etymologies given; the quotes, while good examples of writing, don't always illustrate the use of the word; it is sometimes uncertain whether the word should be treated as foreign or capitalized; and as noted above, even the definitions are sometimes inadequate.
4. Saussy's reading includes a lot of erotica, and a disproportionate number of entries have prurient appeal.
The dictionary is nice for browsing, but I would not use words from it without first checking other sources.
May 24, 2007
Filled with delicious abandoned or odd words, like
CROTCHET: noun A peculiar and whimsical perversion; a nonsensical notion
CUCKQUEAN: noun A female cuckold
GOZZARD: noun A goose herder
QUIDDLE: verb To fiddle or diddle idly
Actually, a number of the odd words in Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun (Wolfe claims there's no made-up words in it) can be found here, which is why I got it originally.
CROTCHET: noun A peculiar and whimsical perversion; a nonsensical notion
CUCKQUEAN: noun A female cuckold
GOZZARD: noun A goose herder
QUIDDLE: verb To fiddle or diddle idly
Actually, a number of the odd words in Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun (Wolfe claims there's no made-up words in it) can be found here, which is why I got it originally.
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November 12, 2016This book contains many words I have never seen before. Includes the language of origin and a quote from a published book, including title and author. A list of all these books is in the index.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews