At first I was annoyed that it wasn't just a book of factoids. As I started reading it and getting into it, I actually became fascinated with the histories and explanations. I feel like you have to be a certain kind of nerdy to really appreciate this book anyway, but I really enjoyed it.

A lovely book jam-packed of fun and interesting facts. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on colors, as the way societies tend to have developed the same track for describing the world around us is so weird and compelling.

This seems like the kind of book you want to have on your shelf just to break it out for a relevant chapter during a discussion!

I finished this book the same day I downloaded it because it truly was such a JOY to explore! My best friend and I both love linguistics, perhaps him more so than me, which is why I was so excited to get approved for this book and instantly moved to devour it. The way this book approaches the subject of linguistics and etymology is very accessible in my opinion— regardless of what "level" a reader may perceive themselves to be at when it comes to these topics, Zafarris structures/lays out the information plainly and in a way that feels both fun and engaging, while also still being wholly educational (+ I really loved all the little trivia and factoids interspersed throughout). This book is chalk-full of information and so worth the ready — I definitely plan to buy it for my BFF come pub day, rec it to all my fellow literary and linguistic nerds, and honestly think it would make for a perfect gift/"coffee table" book!

One of my special interests is the origin of words so I loved this! It's a fun read with lots of information and it explained one of my pet peeves—the silent letter

I enjoyed this a lot! It had a lot of really interesting facts and I learned a lot. It did get a bit monotonous at times, but it’s definitely a book for linguistic nerds!

DNF :(

I unfortunately was unable to finish this book. I am interested in etymology (the study of the origin and meaning of words) which is what drew my to this book. One of my favorite books growing up was L is for Lollygag: Quirky Words for a Clever Tongue, so a non-fiction book about words was up my alley.

Contrary to L is for Lollygag which has pictures and other engaging materials, this book is very dry and not well formatted in my opinion. The book consists of an endless list of words and their origins with some technical background on roots and linguistics, without seeming to connect under a theme. I skimmed ahead and saw that there are chapter groupings based on geographic origin or "etymology myths" however the collections of words chosen feel very disparate to the lay reader. It feels like reading a dictionary out of order, very disjointed.

I would rather have words chosen by common categories like "greetings" (hello, goodbye, howdy) or adjectives like colors (which came first, the color orange or the fruit?). It would make the content more digestible and impactful for the reader, rather than listing hundreds of words that I cannot retain or search for later as they are not alphabetically organized or otherwise easily identifiable.

If you are seriously interested in the origin of words then this book is for you. Perhaps I am not the target audience for it. I wish it was made for a wider audience as I'd love to read something suited more for lay people.

The book opens in a very fun way and moves us through etymology and introduction for the book and chapters, as well as throughout all the book seamlessly.
The explanation is easy to follow and understand.
It is fun and entertaining to through as it's full of "trivia and factoids" (read the book to understand the inside joke).
My only grievance is that I didn't feel there was a system to how we moved from word to word and theme to theme. Not to say it didn't make a sensible flow, just that I couldn't track a system of movement.
The book explained grammatical terminologies that are not encountered on daily basis in a clear and simple way, it definitely gave me more than I bargained for on that front.

I requested the book, well because I am a nerd, and because I wanted some inspiration. And it 💯 delivered!

I have no idea why I decided to pick up this book and I am very happy that I did. It was full of fun little facts and now I have new factoids to educate (and torture) my teenage children. I liked how the book was divided into sections and especially liked Part 3 and the origins of the more silly words.

This is exactly the type of informative but readable and enjoyable book I love.

I found it very engaging and interesting. It would be easy to dip in and out of, reading about just a few words - but I read most of it in one sitting!

There were so many facts and fascinating historical snippets which I am bound to be telling people for years to come.

Even for people that are new to this topic, it's a really recommendable, enjoyful book, It's packed with suprising facts and traces back everyday words to their (partly) unexpected origins. With so much to learn, it's both engaging and informative, yet at no point does the writing get dry or boring.

It's always nice to have fun while you learn, and this was definitely an entertaining and informative book.

I had so much fun with this, it's the perfect book for anyone who has an interest in etymology. The writing is quite engaging so you can learn more about the topic without getting bored

Very fun and engaging. I love linguistics so I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book. I'll definitely pick up a physical copy when it's published. later this year! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I sure hope this book will help me with trivia/jeopardy! I had such a good time reading this and trying to decipher beforehand if I knew the information or not … two years of high school latin can only get you so far

Useful book of interesting factoids. A little bit dry in the length of the chapters and not as accessible for everyone. Overall an interesting read.

Firstly I want to say thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is positively delightful and a real treat to read. If you're a fan of languages or etymology then this book is 100% for you. Even if you're not and want something light, but interesting to read then this book is for you too!

This book is packed with a range of different words, from Gen-Z slang to more less common words too. It's honestly really interesting seeing the way language and words have developed over time. And the way sometimes the older words modern phrases are derived from mean completely different things! It's got cool tidbits of information in it that I'll probably end up remembering in the most random of times.

I think my favourite has to be kit and caboodle/caboodle because it reminds me of that one CBeebies quiz show. I can't remember what its called but the characters were definitely called Kit and Kaboodle. Update: it's called Kerwhizz I absolutely adored that show as a child.

I also liked how it went through words in other different languages. So used to hearing about how everything is Latin, so seeing Arabic, Hebrew, Native American, and African languages was refreshing.

I feel like this would be a perfect coffee table book that you can pick up randomly and just flick through some of the pages to learn something new. Would definitely recommend it for sure!

This was a delightful and informative read that I will continue to think about!

Although there was a plethora of interesting etymology information, I was especially intrigued to learn that English speakers adopted the word Kudos in the 1700s from the Greek word for "glory" and was likely adopted by students who studied The Iliad and The Odyssey.

The author has a clear understanding of the subject and has a captivating writing style, definitely worth the read.

I decided to check this out for fun and could not put it down. I devoured it and thought it was so interesting. Definitely a fun book that goes through explaining the deeper meanings behind words. It was nice to read the research behind the words. I had no clue that so many words came from Shakespeare! I can’t wait to pick this book up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Matters of language don’t often grab my interest, but on a bit of a whim I decided to give this title a try. To say the least, I am now very appreciative of past me’s decision. This book proved to be an immediate delight in many ways. My only quibble honestly is with the title - although I get it’s a playful joke, “Useless Etymology” is most definitely anything but useless. Not only is it wonderfully informative on a general level, but as a former ESL teacher, it frankly was eye-opening to see all the ways that my native tongue is such a peculiar language so clearly spelled out with so many countless examples. Overall, this is nothing less than an informative joy of a read!

Useless Etymology turned out to be an unexpected gem! Exploring the origins of words has always intrigued me, but it’s rare to find a take on the subject that feels this lively. The author blends sharp insights with humor, making each discovery feel fresh and exciting. A fantastic read for anyone who enjoys uncovering hidden stories in everyday language!