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Grace Tierney

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Born
in Ireland
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January 2014

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Grace Tierney writes in rural Ireland. Her award winning Wordfoolery blog about unusual English words has been running for 17 years exploring everything from “pooka” to “friggatriskaidekaphobia”.

Grace has serialised three novels on the online reading platform Channillo and published six word history books (print & ebook) - "Words the Weather Gave Us" (Nov 2026), "Words Christmas Gave Us", "Words the Vikings Gave Us", "Words the Sea Gave Us", “How To Get Your Name In The Dictionary”, "Modern Words with Old Roots". She’s an etymology blogger, regular radio contributor, and publishes articles and short fiction. When not writing you’ll find her reading, crafting, or hiking up a hill.

Grace’s favourite eponymous hero is Casanova because his swas
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Grace Tierney Positive feedback from a reader. My favourite version of that is reading my work aloud and hearing people laugh, at the right places.
Grace Tierney Writing is the best way to learn about writing. Workshops and writing groups help, but writing (and submitting!) is the only way to improve. If you're…moreWriting is the best way to learn about writing. Workshops and writing groups help, but writing (and submitting!) is the only way to improve. If you're keen to write a novel - try www.nanowrimo.org - commit a month to your writing. I do it every year and the community is great.(less)
Average rating: 4.5 · 14 ratings · 6 reviews · 6 distinct works
Words Christmas Gave Us (Wo...

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — 3 editions
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Words The Vikings Gave Us (...

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — 2 editions
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How To Get Your Name In The...

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Modern Words with Old Roots

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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Words the Weather Gave Us (...

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions
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Words The Sea Gave Us (Word...

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2020 — 2 editions
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The Surprisingly Old Roots of Jet Lag

Hello,

I’m compiling this one in advance because I’ll be recovering from jet lag when it goes out to blog subscribers (after to a trip to visit my youngest, studying overseas this semester). I expected it to be a modern word but as so often happens, its roots are considerably older.

First of all, did you know it was originally a syndrome? In the early days of flight, jet lag (also correct as jetlag)

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Published on October 12, 2026 08:00
The Zorg: A Tale ...
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Magic, Maps, and Mischief by David                  Green
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Utopia Avenue by David  Mitchell
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An engaging story of a late 1960s band. Formed from a slightly mismatched four musicians they reach the top, encountering Bowie and others along the way. A charming read but elements of the ending didn’t work for me.
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The Zorg by Siddharth Kara
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A Plague of Heretics by Bernard Knight
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Picked this up without reading the earlier books in the series but it worked without prior knowledge. Well researched and believable historical details plus a strong plot of murders for this medieval coroner to solve. Good secondary characters too. I ...more
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Something Blue by Liz Hedgecock
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This time Sherlock, and Mycroft, help Jack/Jacinth to find her birth family. Twins separated at birth is a plot device I don’t admire but it’s well done here. I’ll be watching for more in this series.
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A Jar of Thursday by Liz Hedgecock
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A fun Sherlock tale with the addition of a time travelling thief
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A Jar of Thursday by Liz Hedgecock
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A fun Sherlock tale with the addition of a time travelling thief
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The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
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A Plague of Heretics by Bernard Knight
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Kate Atkinson
“Fine,’ she said, using the universal Scottish word for every state of being from ‘I’m dying in anguish’ to ‘I’m experiencing euphoric joy.’ ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘I’m fine.”
― Kate Atkinson, When Will There Be Good News?

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