The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon [Hardcover]

Karen Elizabeth Gordon (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0395689902 | ISBN-13: 978-0395689905 | Publication Date: August 26, 1997 | Edition: 1st

"What on earth does lagniappe mean? A sluggard who lies around till noon? A she-wolf of Anapurna? A car that demands heavy pampering?" In fact, none of the above. But one can find this Creole French word delectably defined in THE DISHEVELED DICTIONARY, which does for vocabulary what Gordon's cult classic THE WELL-TEMPERED SENTENCE did for punctuation and THE TRANSITIVE VAMPIRE did for grammar. THE DISHEVELED DICTIONARY takes a voluptuary's approach to language, offering a lavish feast of words and their multiple uses. Favorite characters from Gordon's earlier books appear in cameo, including Yolanta, Jonquil Mapp, cowboys with lingerie, and assorted royal riffraff. With her trademark cache of illustrations and flamboyantly gothic examples, Gordon takes readers on a hedonist's tour of the world of words, where they can check into the Last Judgment Pinball Machine Motel, slip into susurrant silk pajamas at Cafe Frangipane, or plunge into scenes from such literary works as Torpor in the Swing,The Wretch of Lugubria, and Gossamer and the Green Light. Laced with erudite insights and eccentric wit, THE DISHEVELED DICTIONARY is about the music of speech and the sound and sensuality of language, celebrating not only the obsure but also our most beloved and basic words.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Pretty little novelty vocabulary books often provide unimaginative, unpoetic definitions for strange and beautiful words that one could never imagine actually using in a sentence. Karen Elizabeth Gordon's Disheveled Dictionary is quite the opposite. Gordon offers up usable if somewhat underused words (such as "amplitude," "crepuscular," "maudlin," and "recidivistic"), many of which we're not quite sure we know the exact meaning, illustrating them in the wildly creative fashion that she has perfected in her grammar texts (The Deluxe Transitive Vampire, The New Well-Tempered Sentence, and Torn Wings and Faux Pas). "The more ample one's lexicon," writes Gordon (as her alter ego "Yolanta") in the book's preface, "the more supple one's thought, the more daring, charged, engaged." "Jonquil Mapp," another of Gordon's stable of crafty characters, adds that "What's most exciting ... is not where a word has been but where it's going, what you will make of it."

This book is best described by example, so here is Gordon's illustrative use of that excessive pride or self-confidence we call "hubris": " Adipose Rex, a modern drama with ancient Greek overtones, is about a king whose hubris vis-a-vis his heart and his tragic proclivity for tiropitas, pastitsio, and baklava bring on his comeuppance coronary." --Jane Steinberg

From Library Journal

Gordon, who has achieved cult status with whimsical references like The Well-Tempered Sentence (1983), defines an array of daffy, delicious words.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 1st edition (August 26, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395689902
• ISBN-13: 978-0395689905
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Dictionary, January 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon (Hardcover)

Amaze your friends, confound your competitors... you're sure to find a half-dozen or so words that are too good not to sprinkle into daily conversation. Gordon's selective dictionary covers the traditional bases by giving definitions and word origins, and using words in sentences, but any similarity to a conventional dictionary ends there (well, it's in alphabetical order, too). It is Gordon's selection of words and phrases and her inspired illustration of their use that make this little book so thoroughly enjoyable. New (to me) words like "callipygian" and "persiflage" are held up to the light by a variety of eccentric characters and fictional excerpts. Even old favorites and less exotic words are given a fresh coat of varnish in Gordon's baroque treatment. The book ambles, rambles, and diverts itself. A treat for anyone who loves the language. Keep it nearby and browse at random.

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but definitely will appeal to the few, March 18, 2002

By 

Amazonbombshell (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon (Hardcover)

I found this book incredibly entertaining, and I loved Ms. Gordon's hilarious illustrating sentences and mini-stories. It is obvious that she has a true passion for words, in and of themselves. If you share this passion, you will LOVE this book. If you already have a good vocabulary and are interested in increasing it, you will REALLY LIKE this book. If you are struggling with language AT ALL in ANY WAY, this book will confuse you and probably be a total waste of your money. THE DISHEVLED DICTIONARY is a unique and wonderful rollercoaster ride for the senses, but it's a mental workout, too. Make sure you're ready for both.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A love affair with words, September 20, 2001

By 

"zeejill" (Torrance, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon (Hardcover)

What lovely playthings words are!
I enjoyed reviewing old words I've forgotten to use. I spoke them outloud and fell back in love. There are lists of words to wrap around your thoughts and words to find sentances for, words to embrace, and some to abuse, and words for one's private use because no one will ever put them on a billboard.