Totally Weird and Wonderful Words [Paperback]

Do you know what a snollygoster is? Would you eat something called a muktuk? Do you know anyone who engages in onolatry? Impress your friends and pepper your dinner party conversations with such nuggets as gobemouche, mumpsimus, and cachinnate. You can learn about all of these bizarre and beautiful words and many more in Totally Weird and Wonderful Words.

Both witty and entertaining, this new paperback brings together two best-selling compendiums to all words unique and strange,Weird and Wonderful WordsandMore Weird and Wonderful Words. Offering a potpourri of colorful and fascinating words compiled by noted lexicographer Erin McKean, it contains hundreds of definitions, and has been updated to include two new essays, with over 150 words new to this edition. Written in a clear and conversational style, the book contains full-page cartoon illustrations by Roz Chast and Danny Shanahan. Featuring hundreds of words guaranteed to amuse and astonish, this is a book that will appeal to logophiles everywhere. It also features a bibliography of Oxford dictionaries and a guide to creating your own unusual words correctly from Greek and Latin roots.

Smart and funny and with just a touch of whimsy,Totally Weird and Wonderful Wordsis the perfect book for reading in your sitooterie with a bumbo in your hand while mavises sing in your ear.

Erin McKeanis the Senior Editor for the Oxford University Press North American Dictionary Program and the Editor ofVerbatimmagazine.

Roz Chastis a staff cartoonist for TheNew Yorkerand the author of more than five books of cartoons.

Danny Shanahanis a staff cartoonist for theNew Yorkerand illustrator of numerous books, includingThe Dead Sea Scroll Palindromes.