Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds by Jess Zafarris is an informative book on the origins of words that all word smiths and etymologists will enjoy.
While I expected the book to be more humorous and less textbook-like, there is no denying its educational value. I particularly enjoyed the references to Shakespeare and the words that he is credited with inventing.
If you are a lover of words who is in the mood for an in depth look at their origins, this is the book for you.
Thank you for the ARC of #UselessEtymology to #NetGalley.

Useless Etymology was a beautifully thought out and entertaining book! The title and cover were giving "fun and quirky" and it did not disappoint! Although the book has a lot of information, Jess Zafarris' writing style makes it easy for the reader to follow and understand. Some sections of the book will contain lengthier explanations of a word's history and evolution, while others are presented as short, quick facts.

My only complaint is the book's title because none of the information was useless! From their origin to present-day use, it was interesting to see how words and their definitions were created or deconstructed. This is definitely one of those books that you want to have easily accessible on your bookshelf or coffee table to pull out during gatherings and discuss with friends!

I am looking forward to now reading Jess Zafarris' previous works!

This book was entertaining and enjoyable to read. I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

If you're a nerd for words, this book will hit the spot. It's easy to read, entertaining, and it will teach you a lot about the origins of words. It's packed with history and fun facts you'll be able to share with other people. If English is your second language, this will be even more entertaining and engaging. Overall, a great, easy-to-read book about etymology that will definitely satisfy curious minds.

The deeper layers to words is a world of fascinating stories, human interconnectedness, and at times pure silliness. Etymology is an extremely interesting subject that can suffer from people’s perceptions on the dryness of grammar and/or history.

This book proves that if that’s what you believe - you’d just been taught incorrectly. Jess delivers a huge breadth of etymological information in a fun tone, great pace, and easy to access manner. It’s an absolute delight of a book. I loved the variety of knowledge contained in these pages.

This book has so much information that it’s perfect for etymology novices through to experienced people. Your fun fact collect will also adore this. Also!! It’s perfect for those who get frustrated by pedantic people that believe words can’t change or get irritated by “misuse” of language - eye opening insights into historical uses of words.

Jess delivers a nice balance of fast fact snippets and longer segments of explanations to keep this book lively and always able to match the mood of the reader. I also appreciate it’s been designed to be flexibly read in any order - which can make it seem there’s not as much structured flow, but there is a logic to the exploration. Personally, I’d enjoy more in depth segments to explore some of the concepts that were quickly provided. However, I can see the benefits of keeping this snappy for broader audience satisfaction.

My only complaint - and this is directed at the kindle mobile app and not the author/book - is that the formatting of this book on the app isn’t quite poor. Footnotes disrupt flow and aren’t consistently displayed, dot points run into one another, and sentences sometimes jump into new paragraphs. These structural issues can throw you out of the flow Jess has written.

Delightfully fun tales of words. Stories of word origins, how language ebbs and flows and follows history as it changes. A book that's designed to be dipped into and read in chunks. The explanations can be a bit long-winded at times, but overall a delight.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I'm going to be honest and admit the truth: I am a "word nerd." So when I saw a book titled "Useless Etymology," I understood two things. One: this book was going to be incredibly useful for my word obsession. Two: I finally found a nonfiction book on etymology that was entertaining.

I feel that so many times I pick up a nonfiction book, only for its vital information and supporting facts to be presented in a dry, bland manner. It's why I prefer fiction: authors will crank up the creativity. However, I always questioned if I could ever learn to love nonfiction. Well, I finally found my niche in that genre: words!

With my love of reading, English Literature and books came my love of Etymology which continued into university and continues now. So when I say I was excited to read Useless Etymology and I was not disappointed. Written in an engaging and accessible style with a wide focus on the amalgamation of the English Language and how it assimilates numerous words and languages. This book is a must read, not just for those like me who love the idea of studying a language but for everyone.

I love understanding the roots of words, so this was far from useless to me.

It was so interesting to learn that while some words seem similar, the origins are separate.

I think anyone that is a fan of Ologies will enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I loved this! Finally I feel that I am not alone. Loved from the first page, the "hello" the way the book is written. Like we are in a long and delicious conversation. I have to have the printed version of this and I have to gift this to a few people that enjoy the way we are evolved (I wont dive into the word evolve now, maybe later). That is "the" book for me.

★★★★★ — A delightfully nerdy book full of interesting and useful information

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Useless Etymology! This was a joyful and fascinating read. As someone who enjoys learning about language and culture but doesn’t have a background in linguistics, I found this book incredibly accessible without ever feeling spoken down to.

Jess Zafarris makes etymology feel like a conversation with your nerdy friend—or maybe specifically my delightfully nerdy editor friend who always has ten fun facts ready for 99% of situations—the kind who drops things like, “Hello! Did you know that hello didn't become a standard greeting until the introduction of the Bell telephone in 1876?” and then starts talking about why we even call a telephone a telephone.

The book doesn't stick to a rigid structure, and that’s a good thing. It follows threads, goes on tangents, and connects words together in a way that feels organic and engaging. It’s packed with fun facts, cultural references, and genuinely funny commentary. I chuckled often and bookmarked quite a few pages for later reference. As someone who writes, it's a useful tool on top of being a fun read.

One of my favourite sections was "Some Word Over the Rainbow: How Colorful Language Colors Our Perceptions". It was a really interesting discussion on how different languages and cultures conceptualise colour.

Whether you're a writer, a language enthusiast, or just someone who likes to collect weird and wonderful trivia, I'd recommend getting this book. I’m already planning to buy a physical copy for my shelf and refer back to it regularly.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Super interesting book!! I love etymology and found all of these little bits of information very fascinating. It did read a little dry in a few areas, but in terms of being an informative book, it certainly does that well!

Having recently read Babel by R.F. Kuang, this novel further continued my interest in linguistics and etymology, which was sparked by my previous readings. The latter is a work of fiction.

Useless Etymology offers a fresh and engaging perspective on the study of words and their history, including the roots of both old and modern words. It is very informative in a fun way. I appreciated the context of headings and using font types such as bold and italic to highlight certain words, especially if someone is flipping through in search of something particular.

This is one of those books that I would purchase simply to have on my shelf for continued perusing. Plus, it doesn't hurt to fact-drop some of the information learned in everyday conversation.

Dive into the whimsical world of *Useless Etymology*, a captivating book that unravels the delightful tapestry of language and its surprising ties to the English lexicon. This exploration is not only informative but also a whole lot of fun, guiding you from the basics of etymology to the more intricate quirks of word origins. As you journey through its pages, you might not even notice the seamless shifts in topics—though the eclectic choice of words discussed may leave you pleasantly surprised!

Think of this book as the perfect snack for your brain—best enjoyed in short, delightful bites rather than in one long sitting. Whether you're cozying up before bed or passing the time in your car while your kids are at practice, its structure makes it easy to dip in and out, almost like a modern-day listicle spun into a narrative.

What truly sets this book apart is its ability to shine a light on etymology, a subject I previously didn’t know much about. Initially, I found myself wondering how an entire book could revolve around this theme, but it unfolded beautifully, offering a rich reward for my curiosity. After reading, I felt a newfound kinship with all the 'word nerds' out there! Zafarris invites us to explore a treasure trove of enchanting histories, colorful perspectives, and fun anecdotes about words and their fascinating evolution over the years.

While there were certainly a handful of terms I wished were explored in greater depth, I also encountered numerous entries that overflowed with fascinating information—enough to keep my mind spinning long after I’d turned the pages. Many definitions sparked genuine laughter or provided keen insights. Though I can't imagine finishing this book in one go, savoring a few pages each day—whether on the bus or just before drifting off to sleep—was an absolute joy. Plus, I really appreciated the author’s casual style; as you delve deeper into the world of words, it's all too easy to get lost in pretentiousness, but this book keeps things refreshingly accessible.

If the title *Useless Etymology* makes your heart flutter with intrigue, then this book is made for you! And even if you've never thought about reading a dictionary cover to cover, consider this book your handy reference. It may not tickle your fancy as much as it did mine, but it certainly opens the door to the enchanting complexities of language. Give it a chance—you might just be surprised!

This book was so interesting and I learned a lot of new things! The length of the entries are perfect for when I had just a couple of minutes of reading time, like waiting in line at the grocery store. This would make a perfect coffee table book (or even a bathroom book!).

This was an entertaining yet educational read!

I'm honestly not too into non-fiction, but this was a great read. I felt like I learned something but was entertained at the same time. I'd definitely recommend this to folks!

Thought it was going to sound like an english textbook but not at all! Enrapturing and really fun read!

As someone who’s previous read books by Susie Dent, and listened to the something rhymes with orange podcast, quite a few of the words roots in this book were familiar, however there were some new which I learnt. I found this book a bit dry in parts, and wasn’t keen on the way words had been grouped, as to me it made it harder to separate them in my memory. Overall though it’s a good book and would make a good gift for anyone interested in English language origins

I absolutely loved Useless Etymology! What I loved most is how easy and fun it is to read, no boring textbook vibes here!

I'm a simple nerd, I see linguistics and etymology and I'm in to entangle myself in the threads connecting ancient languages around the world. Informative mind-boggling collection of facts and anecdotes exploring the conundrum the English language is :D Recommended to all who enjoy linguistics and fun facts about how we went from "To be or not to be" to "skibidi toilet", literally.