As an English teacher, I’m always on the lookout for books that offer something fresh and insightful about language, and Useless Etymology by Jess Zafarris definitely delivered on that front. I was drawn to this book because, like many language lovers, I find etymology both fascinating and endlessly amusing. Zafarris’ approach to the subject is lighthearted, witty, and, most importantly, fun.

The book takes a humorous look at the strange and often absurd origins of words and phrases. What I really appreciated was how Zafarris manages to blend education with entertainment—this is not a dry, academic tome, but rather a delightful exploration of the quirky history behind everyday terms. The anecdotes about where certain words come from or how their meanings have evolved over time are both amusing and enlightening. As someone who teaches language and literature, I found myself laughing out loud and then immediately wanting to share some of these bizarre word histories with my students.

Zafarris’ tone is conversational and approachable, making this a perfect read for anyone curious about language, whether they’re a word nerd like me or just someone who enjoys a good laugh. Her ability to blend factual information with humorous commentary is spot on, and I can see myself recommending this to students who are studying linguistics or just love language in general.

If you're an English teacher like me, Useless Etymology is a great resource for adding some fun, lighthearted moments to your lessons. It's a book that both entertains and educates, and I could definitely see myself picking it up again whenever I need a little inspiration to spark a conversation about language with my students. Highly recommended for anyone who loves words—whether for their utility or their delightful absurdities.

This book caught my attention because of its beautiful cover but also because as a linguist, you can imagine etymology as a field of linguistics is very important to me. I love reading about words and where they come from and to pick the right ones when I have to write or translate (among many things).

Words are important and etymology can tell us a lot about words and the people who use them. Language is dynamic, "language as social practice" shapes and it is shaped by society. We can coin new words, stop using them. The discourse around some words can shift from negative to positive or viceversa.

This book was divided into three parts and covered a lot of terms without going too deep into their history and meaning, so I'd say this book can be read by anyone who likes reading about the origin of words (if you are reading my review, you probably are). I knew several etymologies and some others, I discovered by reading this book. I like I felt like I was conversing with a friend and I liked the informal tone of this book. I may check other books by the author since I really like this topic.

Thanks to the editor and NetGalley for letting me read this book in advance.

A book about the etymology of a random spattering of words that I don’t think is as useless as the title says.

It touches on a variety of words, separated by different categories, and talks about fun word plays and extra long words and words based on animals or the origins of the names of the month. There’s humor and fun sprinkled throughout the writing so it’s much more engaging than a standard textbook and it’s clear the author has done a lot of research on what they’re talking about, with an extensive bibliography that isn’t just internet sites. I’m not sure they have a background in linguistics or languages in particular, but they definitely seem to know a lot about words.

Some sections are more interesting than others, and I’m not sure how they decided what words to include and whether the way the book is organized makes the most sense. Also I’m not sure if all sections will make sense to people who don’t have some background in having formally learned a second language (terms like ablative and dative came up, but I only ever learned about them from Latin and Greek class). But this was entertaining and any reader will come away from this with a few new words in their vocabulary.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and the book had some strong points. I particularly enjoyed the section on unpaired words. Zafarris has a good sense of humor that comes through clearly. It was very informative but sometimes felt like a stream of consciousness, with one thing running into another and I would lose the thread. Overall though, it was well worth reading and I recommend it for people who love learning about languages. Thank you to Netgalley and Chambers for the advance reader copy.

This is a really entertaining and informative overview of etymology, which covers an awful lot of ground. The tone is a mix of the folksy and the whimsical, which suits the subject matter and mostly comes off well without becoming irritating. If you want to add words like absquatulate and skeuomorphism to your vocabulary (and who doesn't?), this is the book for you.

This book is fun and informative!
I love learning about the origins of words so this book spoke to my heart and brain.
A number of times I found myself messaging friends with explanations of origins of words (corgi was a fave!)

Written with humour and accessible language. A must read for fans of the written English language.

This book is a delight! It’s especially a treat for those of us who are fascinated with words. I love feeling empowered and that’s what “Useless Etymology” made me feel after reading it. I felt empowered with the knowledge that yes, language has a set of rules, BUT we could never possibly know and fully understand them all because they’re ever-changing! And that the best part of knowing words is using them for fun!!

I loved that this book began with the explanation and history of the word “hello” and did the same with “goodbye” for the ending. I also adored the parting advice to play with language, stay curious and to never fear having to look up words, and to ultimately remember we should use our words for GOOD.

Some memorable moments for me:
•sideburns came from a guy with the last name of Burnside.
•learning why the “B” is silent in words like doubt and debt.
•the history and meaning behind the seasons and months.
•the word “honeymoon” breaking down to mean a month of the honeyed glow of happiness. :)
•giddy meaning possessed by a god or insane.

All in all, if you love words and writing and reading and would like to feel a little more empowered by the words we use and why we use them the way we do — give this book a go!

A fun read for people that love a fun fact. It's a great gift for your friend that always says random know-it-all things but you actually learn something real.

This is a must have for teachers! I found it so useful for helping my students decode unfamiliar words.

First of all I would like to thank I was drawn to thank John Murray Press, Jess Zafarris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review on this book!

Initially I was drawn to Useless Etymology because of its intriguing subject matter, and I was excited to dive in and learn more. Unfortunately, the presentation of the material made it difficult for me to fully engage with the book. While the author has clearly done extensive research on the topic, the way the information is presented feels more like a series of disconnected facts rather than a cohesive narrative. It often felt like I was being bombarded with trivia, without much context or explanation to help me truly understand the concepts. As a result, I struggled to stay invested in the book, and found myself feeling like I was just passively receiving information rather than being actively engaged in the learning process. I think this is a shame, because the subject matter is truly fascinating and deserves a more thoughtful and nuanced approach.

I think perhaps for readers with more familiarity on this topic, it would be engaging as sort of a refresher, or perhaps a reference guide of sorts, however as someone fairly new to the subject, this just was not the book for me.

If you’re into etymology — or just curious about it — this might be a good book to start with it. Written with a pleasant, conversational voice the book talks about how words work, how we get from archaic to modern words, how to sus out the meaning behind words based on prefixes and suffixes, how whelmed is — in fact — a word, and covers the various parts of etymology like rebracketing, pleonasms, slang and grammar. It’s a fun book, honestly, but it’s also only surface deep.

For someone, like me, who likes trivia books full of random facts, this is perfect. It’s also a decent starting point if you have no idea what etymology is, how it works, or why it’s important. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

Useless Etymology was a delightful read that combined interesting facts with a good dose of humor. Jess Zafarris brings the history of words to life in a way that is both engaging and accessible, making etymology feel like an adventure rather than a dry academic subject.

These types of books tend to feel like they're talking down to the audience. Instead, I think Jess struck a great balance of education as well as conversational tone.

This may be the first book about language that brings you joy if you are not a linguist, but anyone’s interest can be peaked with this not so useless book of etymology. The explanations are easily digestible and include a plethora of examples from the more recent “Yeet” to a “Dude”. I may be biased as a lover of English who happens to teach, but I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of information ranging from Native American language to ye olde English.

I would love to have a copy of this for home and another for my classroom shelf.

Thank you NetGalley for an early ARC and an opportunity to read. Review posted on Goodreads and will be shared on Instagram.

Etymology isn't useless, no matter how weird or mundane it is and this book drove me to distraction with its odd - and unhelpful - organisation and the author’s flippancy. I’m not sure what audience this is aimed at, but I can’t see that it would appeal to those interested in ‘where words come from’ or those who like a jolly little quirky book as a Christmas stocking filler . It doesn’t seem to know where it belongs - or perhaps it does and I’ve just missed the point. I love language and was attracted by the title, but this book drove me mad. It’s neither purely academic nor very entertaining in my view - rather I just found it very annoying.

Perhaps it’s being touted as “useless” but it’s anything but, especially for an etymology lover!!

I learned a lot of cool’ things about favourite words and gained a deeper understanding of words I hated and didn’t necessarily realize why. Hint- they’re often rooted in bigotry.

My only critique was that it was dense and often felt like having a conversation with someone who is excited about something and goes on a tangent and hops through 5 different topics. I think it could’ve been shortened a bit or even lessened with the amount of words used so that it would be easier to retain the knowledge. But that was my only nitpicky critique and this was just a fun time.

What a delightful read! Zafarris perfectly manages to make word origins fun and funny, while still being incredibly informative. I've learned so much about history, types of words, and different, fun word quirks from this book. As someone with a bachelor's in language and linguistics, this book was 100% my cup of tea and I will be buying it as soon as it comes out.

Thank you Jess Zafarris, John Murray Press, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Useless Etymology is a delightful rabbit hole to fall into. The title may be self-deprecating, but don’t let it fool you - this book is packed with fascinating trivia about the origins of everyday words and expressions.

What makes it stand out is its tone: informative without being academic, clever without trying too hard. It teaches you a lot in small, digestible bites, never overwhelming you with too much detail or dry explanation. You can pick it up, read a few entries, and put it down feeling smarter—and slightly smug—for knowing the bizarre and often hilarious history behind words you use every day.

Perfect for language lovers, trivia buffs, or anyone who enjoys fun facts that make them look witty at dinner parties, Useless Etymology is far from useless. It’s a charming reminder that even the most ordinary words can have extraordinary stories.

Absolutely fascinating book of historical facts and fun stories about linguistics and how certain words and phrases came to be. Word history is explored in a light, airy way where we really learn cool things without it being too heavy or boring. Extremely well done!

Thank you for this fascinating and oftentimes funny guide to etymology! As someone who is studying literature and linguistics, I found a lot of references that I recognised from class, which helped both my understanding and my enjoyment of the book.

This is a very interesting collection of "tidbits" (I loved that discussion, by the way!), but not really one that I found easy to read through. It meandered a bit, which I didn't mind, but was difficult to read in large doses as it felt drier than I expected. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I did - but as a pick-up and put-down book, more than a read-through. It was definitely fascinating to learn about the history of so many words and concepts though - my inner dork was very pleased with all the new "trivia" I gleaned!