Mental Floss: Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words

Book excerpt: Ever wonder if there is a synonym for the word synonym? Or why people really hate the word “moist?” Maybe you want to know why we tell a person to take something “with a grain of salt,” or why McDonalds went to war with a dictionary. From obscure words to the best literary insults ever written, this linguistic miscellany is sure to spice up your vocabulary, make you a whizz at word games, and prepare you for plenty of wordy repartee for your next soiree, with some of the most bizarre terms you never knew you needed. A CACOPHONY OF WORDS: Learn the meaning and surprising history of hundreds of words and phrases LOTS OF LISTS: Discover curated collections of literary insults, old-timey words, popular slang, and much more WORD GAME WIZ: Includes tips for mastering popular word games from Scrabble to Wordle WIT FOR WRITERS: Writers looking for just the right word will be inspired by hundreds of unusual and obscure words REFERENCE FOR READERS: Fans of every genre, from Norse Myths to Victorian Romance will find histories, origins, and backstories of the words that make up their favorites reads COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION: Mental Floss: The Curious Reader, Mental Floss: The Curious Movie Buff, and Mental Floss: The Curious Viewer are also available.