Have you every wondered where some words originated from? Then this is the book for you.
It's easy to read and breaks down why English is such a weird and wonderful language in an engaging manner.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Very interesting book, recommended for those with an interest in etymology.

Thank you for the advance copy

Useless Etymology is a playful, witty dive into the offbeat origins of words, perfect for anyone who loves language, trivia, or fun facts. Jess Zafarris takes terms we use every day—from astronaut (star-sailor) to sinister (once meaning left-handed)—and unpacks their surprising histories with humor and clarity. Rather than a dense academic text, this feels like a lively conversation, blending folklore, history, and wordplay in a way that’s both accessible and entertaining. Some chapters lean salty when covering curse words, but that only adds to the charm for readers comfortable with it. With its blend of fascinating tidbits, cultural insight, and Zafarris’s engaging style, this book makes language feel fresh and fun, and it’s no wonder it’s earned so much love on Goodreads. Big thanks to the publisher for the gifted ALC!

Very interesting to learn so much about language. I love etymology and find it so interesting, so this was a nice book to aid my curiosity and lead me to some further research.

If you love words, language, and history this is definitely for you. I found myself dipping in and out of this detailed, interesting book which shone a light on words I read, know and speak providing history, context and an insight into how some phrases and words are lost and some so embedded we barely notice their antiquity or heritage. I loved that the English language is such a magpie of other languages: shiny nuggets that feel nice to say like Hoity-Toity or that have become separated from their original meaning and bent to new purposes. Like chocolate cake, too rich for one sitting but each small mouthful delicious.

I’ve always been curious about how words come to mean what they do, and Useless Etymology hit that itch. This book is niche and definitely not for everyone. It’s a collection of short, editorialised word-histories rather than a single sustained argument, which will thrill word nerds and frustrate readers who want a continuous narrative. That said, the prose is plain and readable, feels like a conversation with a colleague who’s thrilled by linguistic curiosities, which makes the subject approachable rather than academic.

I’m giving it four stars. It doesn’t revolutionise linguistics, but it does what it promises: it makes you look at everyday words with fresh curiosity. I’ll be keeping a copy on my coffee table or bookcase to dip into now and then.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thanks to John Murray Press | Chambers, the author and NetGalley for a DRC in return for an honest review

This book is pure joy! Each page is crammed full of fascinating facts with which to enthrall your friends and family.

I will provide a more detailed review once I’ve finished reading the book.

#UselessEtymology #NetGalley

Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds
by Jess Zaffarris
I have always been curious about how some words mean what they mean today. What did they mean in the past? Curious phrases? Were people out of their minds?
This book is just what I was looking for! This will unweave the tangled tale of the history of words. It will take you back on brief and crazy history tours to show you history and how that changed and how the word may or may not have evolved with it. I enjoyed it. I love history in general, and the history of words and phrases. It is presented in a fun and light way that pulled me in! Very informative!
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this wonderful book!

For a word nerd like me, etymology is never useless. I had a lot of fun learning about quirky, bizarre, and curious word origins, reading this book.
It isn't so much of a narrative non-fiction as it is an expansive, organized list, but it does have some narrative perks, such as the author's jokes shining through here and there.
All in all, lots of fun. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Useless Etymology is really fun and I learned a ton of weird and interesting facts about words I thought I already knew. The author’s curiosity and humor make even the strangest word origins entertaining. That said, the book felt a little all over the place—more like a bunch of random tidbits than a well-organized guide. I think it would have been even better if it were arranged more like an encyclopedia or dictionary, so it was easier to follow. Still, if you like quirky language stuff, it’s definitely worth a read.

My thanks to both NetGalley and John Murray Press - Chambers for an advance copy of this book that looks at the origins of words that we use everyday, words that have been unfairly forgotten, and words that have changed over the years.

I have always loved words. I always thought that I somehow my future would be in words, my fortune made in creating tales using words that would be read all over the world. Now I get by selling tomes full of words, which I guess is pretty close. Whenever I read I always keep a file card to write words down, along with quotes to look up the meaning of later, something that hasn't changed with the advent of e-readers. I enjoy crosswords and word finds and feel that one should always use a five dollar word, even when an easier word would fit just fine. I know this sounds like a dating profile, but it seemed important to share why a book like this brings such joy to me. A book that I already know I will be getting for a few friends this Christmas. Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds by Jess Zafarris is a fantabulous collection of words, their origins and how their meanings have changed over the years, told in a very unique and erudite style.

The book begins with a brief lesson about language, and how words mean so much to certain people. The author is a podcaster, who tweets and posts about language and words on many different social media sites. The book travels through time and location, breaking words down into different forms and explaining how they came to be used, or how they came to be changed over the years and why. The book covers different forms, certain words like 'ye olde' were misread and their meaning changed over the years. The book also looks at the creation of new words, some in an effort to link the past with a future that seems to care less and less about how things are defined.

Many things discussed will be familiar, ie the discussion about Shakespeare's adding words, or the use of Latin in the creation of science and newer words, but Zafarris always has a new way of presenting information that is instructional, and well fun. Working with social media as helped Zafarris keep everything clear, understandable, and again I will say fun. One can understand easily, even when their are terms about linguistics of etymology that might seem a little obtuse for some. The style is quite good, and one feels more that they are having a conversation with a friend, than learning something. A very smart friend, which makes for a nice reading experience.

I know a few people who enjoy language, and this would make a good gift for people with that interest. A very informative writer, and one I quite enjoy. I look forward to what Jess Zafarris has planned next.

Great for word nerds!! A little dense with industry specific terms for those of us non experts but Jess does a pretty good job of explaining them to us. I found it best to read it in small increments as it could be dense and occasionally confusing on what liguistic phenomenon we were talking about. I think some more subcategories or a flow would have been less confusing since we jumped from one thing to the next. without an identifiable pattern ( to me) I loved did you knowing...my boyfriend the next time I saw him. Why English has no many silent letters is a fun fact I break out at every opportunity...even ones I just make up. Thoroughly enjoyed this little deep dive into the english language, once I figured out the best way for my brain to read it. If you love words, fun facts, and the ability to annoy your boyfriend with unending did you knows... this is for you.
3.5 rounded up to 4 since half stars aren't an option.

Full of interesting facts and tales, Useless Etymology was a fun read for a writer like me who is obsessed with words and where they come from. The English language is deceptive, transitional and magical, and I loved Zafarris' mission to bring that to life.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book is all about the origins of words. They are very random and weird but very interesting. I really enjoyed this book because I always find the origin of words interesting! This book provided some fun trivia and knowledge. The writing kept me intrigued and engaged as well.

I would recommend this one to others who enjoy words!

"Did you know that an "astronaut" is literally a "star sailor," that a thesaurus is, in fact, a "treasure trove" of words, and that someone who is "sinister" is actually just "left-handed"?

Have you ever wondered why English isn't considered a Romance language if 60% of our words are Latin-derived?

Did Shakespeare really invent 1,700 words, and if not, why the heck do we say that he did?

Why is the English language stuffed with so many synonyms?

Let's be real: English can seem pretty bonkers. And, well, sometimes it is. But through thorough thought and a pinch of curiosity, method can be found within the madness of our modern tongue-even within the disparate pronunciation of the words "through," "thorough," and "thought."

Derived from Germanic, Romance, Hellenic, Semitic, African and Native American languages, English contains multitudes. It has been (and continues to be) transformed by war and conquest, art and literature, science and technology, love and hate, wit and whim.

Useless Etymology takes readers on a time-traveling adventure to unlock the beauty, wonder, and absurdity within our everyday words, how they came to be, and the unexpected ways their origins weave a global, cross-cultural labyrinth of meaning.

Filled with fun facts and delightful discoveries, this is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to know more about why the English language works the way that it does."

The perfect gift for your wordy friend who likes to wear a t-shirt purchased from PBS about how English can be understood "Through Tough Thorough Thought Though."

I'm a total word nerd and was very excited to read this book. It did not disappoint. It was engaging, funny, and illuminating. Anyone who loves words will love this book!

This was a fun book of entertaining factoids, as it says in the intro. I have always been interested in the origin of words, and have been wanting to get back into reading more non fiction, so was excited to see this. It breaks down into topical chapters, similar to Freakonomics or The Tipping Point, which keeps it easy to ingest. Hope this keeps me going on my NF journey.

A fun adventure into the history and origins of words, Useless Etymology strikes a great balance between informative, insightful, and interesting! This is a great book for English language nerds and trivia lovers alike! Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy.

An interesting and fun book that everyone will enjoy. I know we’ll be buy8ng it for our library. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

"Have you ever heard the word "nickname" and wondered who Nick is? At first glance, you might think, "Well, Nick is short for Nicholas so uhh, it. Nick is a nickname-thus, nickname." But it turns out there is no Nick. There never was a Nick. Nick doesn't exist. (Sorry Nick)"

I had a chuckle when I read this fun fact about the origins of nicknames. As an absolute nerd for learning about the history and evolution of language I loved this book. So many great fun facts, and I love the fact that it's just a fun book to jump in and out of whenever you feel like it, it's not something that needs to be read in a linear fashion as such. You will learn lots of things that are both funny and informative; & there's a good chance you won't have come across a lot of the facts before. If you enjoy knowing the origins of words/language and how it's evolved, this is a fun starter read. My son enjoys me reading some of it out to him out of the blue just to amuse him, easy reading for young teens and upwards, fun reading for younger kids with a grown ups help for some of the words. I'll definitely be buying a physical copy when it is published. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher (John Murray Press) for the opportunity to read this before its official publication, it was fun. I am now off to see if I can find Jess Zafarris' previous works that sound just as fun and interesting.