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.

This book has so much information, yet is presented in a way that even most high schoolers would be able to understand. I don't want to be misunderstood that I am saying this should be classified young adult non-fiction or anything. There was so much in there that I haven't ever heard or had forgotten. Just that the book is easy to read and is very interesting.

The only issue I had was when the word physiognomy was mentioned. It was included in a passage with other -logy words, each getting one or sentences. Physiognomy is the practice of using one's facial features to discern your character, and it has been used to defend racism. I can understand why she didn't include anything about racism in the book, because then it wouldn't be strictly an etymology book but would be bringing politics into it. I just know there is no way I couldn't have even typed the word with ranting about it. As you can tell from my review.

Amazing book for anyone who wants to learn more about our language. I loved learning about the origins of the word 'nostalgia' (look that up even if you don't read the book).

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

A somewhat fun read!

I find etymology very interesting, so I enjoyed this book overall—it’s engaging and full of interesting titbits about the origins of words. The author does a great job presenting linguistic roots in a fun way (definitely not dry, as one might expect!).

However, since I speak a Romance language, I found that a lot of the content felt very familiar. Of course, that's more of a personal limitation than a fault of the book itself. For readers who are native English speakers or who haven’t studied Romance languages in depth, I think this book could be especially enlightening and a lot more novel.

I would consider this an interesting read if you're interested in the history of words and where language comes from. I liked the grouping of the categories. Sometimes i struggled with reading this but i put that down to be less interested in that category. This is one i could see being a good gifting book and a dip in and out book but i never felt the pressure to read this from cover to cover in one go.

If you’ve ever wondered why we park in a driveway, drive on a parkway, or pronounce "though," "thought," and "through" completely differently, *Useless Etymology* is here to scratch that linguistic itch—with humor, heart, and a ton of fascinating trivia.
This delightful dive into the oddball origins of English words proves that our language is anything but boring. From surprising Latin roots to the myths around Shakespeare’s supposed wordsmithing, the book untangles where English came from, why it’s such a beautiful mess, and how global cultures have shaped it.
With chapters full of bite-sized insights, historical side quests, and plenty of word-nerd charm, this book is perfect for anyone who loves language or just enjoys a good “Did you know…?” fact. It’s clever, approachable, and sneakily educational, the kind of nonfiction that makes you feel smarter without ever feeling like homework.
Whether you're a writer, a trivia buff, or someone who simply likes to know why “sinister” really means “left-handed,” *Useless Etymology* is a treasure trove worth exploring.

I absolutely loved this book. Full stop.

It's goofy and sarcastic and silly and cheesy and absolutely fantastically awesome.

If that’s not emphatically clear enough, I’ll say it again: I loved this book.

Jess Zafarris takes us through a near endless amount of assorted words, taking the reader through their etymologies, brilliantly weaving in laugh out loud commentary with an Oxford English Dictionary-style explorations.

But rather than dryly sharing a word’s etymology, Zafarris peppers in snarky yet pithy analysis. At other times, Zafarris makes fun of our own curiosity into the word or takes us on a tangential ride to other quite silly etymologies.

I loved every moment of it.

Five stars!

Thank you to John Murray Press and NetGalley for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is so fun. The sections are short and easy to read and covers basically everything you could want to know about words. As someone who always likes to look up the etymology of words (especially when learning other languages, it's so interesting to see how words that might not mean similar things now came from the same place), this was a super fun read for me.

This had a lot of interesting etymological information! It was all explained well and concisely, so it was easy to understand without feeling like the author was droning on at any point.

An amusing, fact-packed book! I thoroughly enjoyed learning the tidbits of information that this books contains. Yes, I may have also been randomly using it in my everyday conversations whenever I can as well!

For someone who is not into etymology, I quite enjoyed this book. The book feels like your friend is telling you about their knowledge in etymology and it does not make it boring. I also liked the structure of the book. As the author explains words another word comes up and it just makes it more exciting. I never imagined I would like a book about etymology.

Thanks to Netgalley, John Murray Press and Jess Zafarris for this copy.

Whether you're looking for the etymology of a specific word or just interested in etymology more widely this is a gem of a book to dip in and out of.

An entertaining look at various aspects of etymology and how the words we use have been formed and shaped over the years. I enjoyed this look into how words can change over time as well as where they come from in the beginning. I did find some sections a little long, but overall an enjoyable read.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this - what a fascinating look into words, their origins and interesting facts about how things came to be as they are. This was packed full of information

A fun, entertaining but also intellectual look at words, word origins and the English language. Pedants will probably have a field day trying to find mistakes, but the biggest learning is language is always changing and what you think is correct may actually be not.