The Etymologicon cover art

The Etymologicon

A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

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The Etymologicon

By: Mark Forsyth
Narrated by: Simon Shepherd
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About this listen

A quirky, entertaining and thought-provoking tour of the unexpected connections between words, read by Simon Shepherd. What is the actual connection between disgruntled and gruntled? What links church organs to organised crime, California to the Caliphate, or brackets to codpieces?

The Etymologicon springs from Mark Forsyth's Inky Fool blog on the strange connections between words. It's an occasionally ribald, frequently witty and unerringly erudite guided tour of the secret labyrinth that lurks beneath the English language, taking in monks and monkeys, film buffs and buffaloes, and explaining precisely what the Rolling Stones have to do with gardening.

©2012 Mark Forsyth (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Social Sciences Witty Funny Thought-Provoking

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What did you like most about The Etymologicon?

It's a book you can dip in and out of easily. There is always something new to learn. Entertaining at the same time. You can easily imagine the author dropping these thoughts into general conversation.

What about Simon Shepherd’s performance did you like?

Easy to listen to.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

You could do if you wanted. I enjoyed it most because you could put it down for a while and pick it up again without having to start at the beginning again.

Any additional comments?

I don't normally listen to non fiction, but i really enjoyed this book and will look for more by this author.

Interesting

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I only ordered this book because I needed another book for the 2-1 offer. London in 19th c. has turned out to be a bit slow for me, but The Etymologicon... what can I say? It is a complete delight: beautifully written and narrated.
I found myself laughing out loud when I was caught by surprise by a joke at the expense of Glaswegians (among whom I count myself). I listened to that joke three times.
I was caught by surprise because this is not a 'humorous' book - it is an informative book, clearly written by a learned man - with a sense of humour.
If you like words you will love this book. Alongside the words comes history, geography, biography, biology, sociology, all the '...aphies' and '...ologies' - and story after story - all illustrated and explained. Its one of those books that make you think - yup, that book made my life better. The reader complements the writer perfectly. Adam Ardrey.

Words fail me - this book is that good.

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Simon Shepherd masterfully narrates this tale of the English language with enough colour and life so as to never let any person tire of it. The listener is taken on a wondrous adventure, covering many regions of the world. I don't know if the pronunciations of some of the more foreign words were always as correct as they could be, but Shepherd tackles them with a confidence which inspires the listener to believe that's how they were always intended to sound. Lovers of language and etymology would do themselves a disservice by missing out on this journey.

Deep and Interesting History of Words and Phrases

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This is both entertaining and informative, Simon Shepherds narration is perfect. Whilst this audible copy is perfect to dip in and out of, I am motivated to buy a hard copy to use as a reference.
If you enjoy the English language then this is an excellent introduction to Etymology.

Excellent, for those that prefer to understand!

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This the second book of Mark Forsyth i have listened to and it did not disappoint. I highly recommend this , written well and read well.

Another great book

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Such books can be tedious, in that the definitions may be laboured and randomly presented, skipping about. Not here, where the author brings you on a journey that not only fills out a hidden world, of beards, wages, salt, or stars, but links them narratively in a way that entertains, and creates a mnemonic facility to recall so many revelations. The author’s love of such collections equip us to hear everyday language in more than one key. Will listen again. And probably again.

Sublime and addictive!

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This was such a fun to listen to. I will definitely listen to it again. So informative as well. And great job Simon Shepherd! You were fantastic!

Amazing!

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if you like words and their origins, this is perfect. so interesting. compelling. I could not stop reading it and I was surprised when it finished.

fascinating

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I bought this on a whim as part of the 2-4-1 sale and I'm so glad I did! It's a thorougly enjoyable ramble through the highways and byways of the English language, enhanced by excellent narration by Simon Shepherd.

You can't listen with half an ear, as the joy of this book is that it's all about details. However, you can easily dip in and out . In fact, I think it's better that way!

Educational and entertaining

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absolutely astonishing, educational, and somewhat addictive. I wish my memory was capable of rembering ALL OF IT.

Fascinating! Must listen again to absorb more.

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