This was a really fun book of words. I enjoyed it a lot, etymology is something that is super interesting to me.

I deducted from the title and cover that this book would be fun, but I didn’t realize how much I would love it! Etymology has been something that is interesting to me, but many educational materials are dry. Zafarris has the best writing style - drawing a natural connection among words and adding cultural references and humor. I learned so much, and shared fun facts with friends I think this book would entertain anyone!

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

What an utterly fabulous book. As someone who regularly has to pause in conversations (and in teaching lessons) if I realise I don’t know the etymology of a word, this is absolutely the book for me. I was hooked even from the introduction. I can’t wait to add some of the gems learnt here into my lessons. A treasure trove of fascinating information - it will be my gift to all my fellow word-lovers this year!

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!

An absolute treat of a book.

Absolutely rammed with fascinating titbits and facts. There are far too many for me to list but personal favourites included the petty reasons behind the silent 'b' in words like debt, how women and female are NOT derived from man and male; and how the word electricity can be traced back to amber - but you'll have to read the book itself to find out how!

Despite being page after page of information it is presented in an engaging, well written way.

I won't remember everything I read in it, but then that isn't the point. This is a book to be enjoyed and then referred back to, time and time again. And while reading through it, you get to be 'that' friend, gleefully sharing the latest fact you've learnt.

I am looking forward to picking up a physical copy when it comes out, as well as tracking down the author's previous works.

I love etimology and this book was very attractive to me! I found it a bit slow at times - I think that's pretty much inevitable with a book like this - but overall very informative and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic! One thing about it I didn't like that much was the fact that many of the words I already new, just because as a native Spanish and Italian speaker Latin roots are pretty obvious to me, but I think it's very objectively NOT the book's fault, so that didn't really affect my rating.

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!

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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!

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!

This was an absolutely delightful book. It has a lovely tone which is engaging without being overly difficult. The word choices were great. While I had heard of some of them, most were completely new to me. My favourite part was the story around the rise of the word antidisestablishmentarianism. This is because I have my own history with the word (my mum taught me to spell it when I was 9 to beat an annoying boy at school) yet I didn’t know how it became so popular.

This is definitely a book that I will buy. If you have any interest in words, you will want to buy it too.

Thanks to the author, publishers & NetGalley for access to this ARC in return for an honest review.

This book gives a fun look at the origins of words that we use every day. It’s refreshingly self aware and down to earth and invites readers to experience language the way that the author does. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This book is so fun if you’re someone who often wonders about the origins of different words or how their meaning has changed over time. It’s a lot of ‘useless’ information delivered in a lighthearted, (sometimes funny) way.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ecopy of this book to read and review.

Oh, I loved, loved, loved this!

To be fair, I've always found etymology fascinating. When you delve into the origin of words, you learn so much about history, culture, and (sometimes) scandals.

There is so much in this book that you might find yourself reading it a bit at a time, but it's all fascinating and so very interesting.

I learned so much and I also loved that the author talks about newer words. It was definitely fun throwing some Gen Z slang at my daughter and telling her the origins of those words and phrases.

Love this book!

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!

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.

This is a great book for those who like words and their origins. The author describes not only their origins but also how words have come to have different meanings through the ages and sometimes more than one meaning. She also gives examples of words that nearly always appear in certain phrases, eg “figment” is usually used in the phrase “figment of your imagination”. There’s also a section on Shakespeare’s influence on the English language. To say any more would spoil the reader’s enjoyment of this fascinating book.

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.

This book helps me to understand where certain words originate, not all pieces of etymology is useless, all words are wonderful and incredible and I love to know the origins of everything.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.