A Browser's Dictionary: A Compendium of Curious Expressions & Intriguing Facts [Paperback]

John Ciardi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

Delightful explorations of the roots (and branches) of words and phrases.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Esteemed poet, translator, critic, and author of children's books, John Ciardi devoted a good part of his later literary career to the "word rambles" that, collected in his Browser's Dictionaries, take us on a wonderfully winding path through the landscape of language. His three compendiums of curious expressions and intriguing facts are enlivened by a reader's inquisitiveness and a writer's ingenuity. In these pages you'll discover the bitter herb at the root of sardonic, the Biblical fly in the ointment, what provides the pleasure in happy as a clam, and hundreds of other insights into our linguistic heritage. Also available in Common Reader Editions: A Second Browser's Dictionary and A Third Browser's Dictionary.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Akadine Pr (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888173203
• ISBN-13: 978-1888173208
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Aaron's Rod to Zwieback..., November 21, 2001

By 

yygsgsdrassil "yygsgsdrassil" (Crossroads America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Browser's Dictionary: A Compendium of Curious Expressions & Intriguing Facts (Paperback)

...you will not be able to put this book down. Well, if you do, it's okay because you can open it up on any page and enjoy it. It is for those who love books, writing, history and it is for those who have that whimsical curiosity about the language and our use of certian words. Akin to the great New York Times columnist's William Safire etiological On Language column, this is just as fun and at times just as whimsical and quirky. These are, as if you did not know by now, the definitions and origins of popular phrases, well worn cliches and colorful words by one of the worlds foremost translators of classic works and epic poetry, John Ciardi.

If you will indulge me a bit...it has everything including The
Kitchen Sink. Dig? In it, you can;

*Finally know what "You've got it all catwampus" really means.

*Learn that the longest palindromic word according to Webster
may well be "kinnikinnik", which is some kind of smoker's potpourri.

*Finally decipher stuff like when some politician spews "Nattering Nabobs of Negativity" or "Depends on what your definition of 'is' is" and know what the heck they are talking about.

*Know where "caught between Syclla and Charybdis" really is, who does the "Garrison Finish", and why "put the kibosh on" may be from Dickens era London streets.

It is right up my alley. I mean I am punch drunk with glee. And I'm not trying to be a Monday Morning quarterback, either. I love this book. This is Vol 1 of a series and I can't wait to get my hands on the later volumns. You are gonna dig the heck outta this!

5.0 out of 5 stars Love John Ciardi, January 4, 2011

By 

D. Ebert "book lover" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Browser's Dictionary: A Compendium of Curious Expressions & Intriguing Facts (Paperback)

I collect vocabulary books, and also John Ciardi books. He can do no wrong, anyway. and the subject matter coupled with his wit is irresistible. I also recommend Forgotten English by Jeffrey Kacirk, When A Loose Cannon Flogs a Dead Horse by Olivia Isil, and Neo-Words by David Barnhart. But- Neo Words is probably already obsolete. I'm going to look for an update.