Mental Floss: Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words

Mental Floss: Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words offers a fascinating exploration into the world of words from Mental Floss, the premier destination for curious minds. Discover the surprising (and sometimes very dark) origins of common terms, a guide to quirky old-timey words, a timeline of popular slang, tips & tricks to win at every word game, from Scrabble to Wordle, a collection of the best literary insults, and much more!

Ever wonder if there is a synonym for the word synonym? Or why people really hate the word "moist?" Maybe you want to know why we tell a person to take something "with a grain of salt," or why McDonald's went to war with a dictionary. From obscure words to the best literary insults ever written, this linguistic miscellany is sure to spice up your vocabulary, make you a whizz at word games, and prepare you for plenty of wordy repartee at your next soirée, with some of the most bizarre terms you never knew you needed.

A CACOPHONY OF WORDS: Learn the meaning and surprising history of hundreds of words and phrases.

LOTS OF LISTS: Discover curated collections of literary insults, old-timey words, popular slang, and much more.

WORD GAME WIZ: Includes tips for mastering popular word games from Scrabble to Wordle.

WIT FOR WRITERS: Writers looking for just the right word will be inspired by hundreds of unusual and obscure words.

REFERENCE FOR READERS: Fans of every genre, from Norse Myths to Victorian Romance, will find histories, origins, and backstories of the words that make up their favourite reads.

COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION: Mental Floss: The Curious Reader, Mental Floss: The Curious Movie Buff, and Mental Floss: The Curious Viewer are also available.