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!

Fun and interesting. I love history and factoids and this book was full of them. I would come back to this and read a chapter here and there. I learned something new every time i picked it up.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

I am enrolled in an intro Linguistics class so when I saw Useless Entomology on NetGalley I figured it couldn’t hurt to have something to supplement my reading. A lot of the terminology overlaps with what I’ve been learning so it was great to have different examples! There is also plenty of new terms I learned which I expected since I’m only in an intro class and entomology is a small subject we touch on. There were times that I did lose interest but that is normal since this is not my area of expertise. Overall worth the read, I learned quite a bit and most of it was interesting.

I'm primarily a fiction reader, but I'm also a self professed "word nerd" so this book jumped out at me, and I'm so glad it did. To borrow a phrase from its own pages, Useless Etymology is "the whole boodle."

This book not only contains historical information, but fun facts about words that are commonly used today. Instead of being dry and stuffy, Jess Zafarris' tone is almost that of good verbal banter--she will keep you hooked even while she's explaining plenoasms. She will delight by explaining the origins of the word bridal, for example, while wondering why there is no "groomal."

While Zafarris does cover some ground that is to be expected (i.e. Shakespeare's famously made up words) she does so in a way that's new and fresh. She also covers a surprisingly large scope for a book of this size, diving into the more than 600 Bantu languages without making her explanations seem either too long and drawn out, or rushed.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I felt like it educated me, gave me some "fun facts" to tell during work meetings, and maybe will help me answer some Jeopardy clues. Overall, a great read.

Delightful exploration of words and their origins, packed with fun facts and anecdotes. Zafarris approaches etymology with humour and a light touch, making every page a joy to read.

I always love taking a dip into the depths of etymology, so Useless Etymology was immediately compelling to me. While I am satisfied with what I read and what tidbits were revealed in this reading, Useless Etymology is far from my favorite book on the subject of word history. In fact, it would be my third, perhaps even fourth suggestion, if anyone were to ask, which they will not.

For the average reader or one just delving into the subject of etymology, Useless Etymology is an in-depth overview on the topic that entertains and informs without overwhelming. A good read for the slightly curious; a great coffee table book. (Though it better serves as a coaster to any etymological mavens (a word derived from Yiddish, I learned!))

Useless Etymology is a fun and quirky look at the surprising origins of words and phrases. Jess Zafaris mixes humor with history, making language feel exciting and entertaining. The book is packed with interesting facts, though the playful tone may not appeal to everyone.

Still, it’s a great read for anyone who enjoys words and their weird backstories!

I know, I know...I'm a nerd and also a librarian which maybe why I loved Useless Etyology so much. It took me on an adverturous journey over time to explain our everyday words. This was such a fun read! How did they come to be, what do they mean, fun facts...just a delightful book for anyone!

In a world where countless books compete for our attention, few manage to capture the reader’s heart so completely that the desire to return to its pages!
Through a series of humorous and insightful anecdotes; the author breaks the fourth wall and teases and ribs the reader for sharing a mutual “dull” intrigue into etymology.

Things I would have love to have seen are the variations between the US/UK take on words. Sidewalk/ pavement, gray/grey but maybe this book was not the place.
It would have also been great to explore place names ie “Manchester” “Towcester” etc, breaking down the suffixes

Overall, I adored this book, 11/10

Useless Etymology was a delightful read that combined interesting facts with a good dose of humour. The latter helped to avoid the text feeling too dry and scholarly, making it accessible to everyone, even if they have no background knowledge in linguistics. This is a book you can read cover to cover or just dip into at random. I was reading it at the same time I started an online course in comparative Indo-European linguistics, so it all fitted in well to my mindset at the time. I recommend this book both to students of linguistics and casual readers who are just interested in learning more about English and the way language works. I am giving it 5 stars.

so this book was very good, to my surprise since i'm not a big fan of non-fiction (then again the last time i voluntarily read non-fic was when i was 12 so). as an etymology-hyperfixator this book is a new favorite and i will probably buy it when it comes out.
it's funny in a Lemony Snicket type way (don’t know how else to explain it) and manages to be informative without sounding condescending. well-written, factual, fun, basically it's a really good book and you should read it if you like words.
4.5 stars!!

So interesting,,, the book you didn’t know you needed.. Really enjoyed this collection of information on the origin of English words. Cracking read. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This book was a truly excellent look into lesser known origins of the English language! As someone who has always had an interest in linguistics, I found this fascinating, while also being easy to follow. I highly recommend for fans of Word by Word by Kory Stamper as well. A delightful read for anyone interested in the nuances of the English language!

While the amount of information in this.book is overwhelming at times, it's all incredibly interesting information. This felt like going down Wikipedia rabbit hole after rabbit hole. I wanted to pace myself, but ended up speeding through because I was having such a fun time learning about all these random words!

My only issue is personal preference– because there's so many words, we don't really have any time to linger. There were moments where fun facts were alluded to, but not explored as I thought they should. There were also occasionally moments that relied on the reader to know the meaning of words, as they only discussed the origin. However, these moments were few and far between.

This was a really fun read! It's written with a clear spirit of joy in words, which made it delightful even when I already knew the etymologies being discussed. The chapters bounce around from idea to idea in a way that is chaotic but entertaining. A great little dipping-into book.

Jess Zafarris gives you the chance to deep dive into words with the book Useless Etymology. From the introduction which gives a quick Latin lesson to the end with a wonderful sign off to continue to learn Zafarris shares lots of factlets about words. Read the introduction to learn more about Factlets. This was a book I will be one I reference for a while.

I have always had a love for words and their origins. Being able to learn more about this topic while enjoying this authors narration was absolutely delightful.

Not only informative but fun and with fresh information and ideas, with a balanced historical and scholarly approach.
It is one of the most interesting and useful, freshest and cutest etymology books that I have ever read.