The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms: From 1500 to the Present [Paperback]

Peter Davies (Author), Fran Carson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1992

No game has a richer array of terms than golf. As new golfing terms have accumulated, old ones have changed or faded away. This concise yet informative dictionary provides definitions and the etymologies for the extraordinary vocabulary of golf, built up over its five-hundred-year history. To discover the origins of golf and its special language, Peter Davies combed little-known archives on two continents. As his unique contribution to the game, Davies’s enthusiasm and enjoyment of golf are stamped on every page of this authoritative book.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Frog Hair , mashie , and niblick are a few of the more colorful terms defined in this entertaining and thorough piece of research by noted lexicographer and golf enthusiast Davies. The format is that of a conventional dictionary, with entries arranged alphabetically and line drawings used occasionally to illustrate different golf clubs. The thousands of citations add depth by clarifying a term's proper usage, identifying its origin, and often tracing the evolution of its meaning over time. The citations are drawn from golfing magazines, newspaper accounts, memoirs of golfers and golf writers, rule books, advertisements, and even fiction (notably P.G. Wodehouse). The weakness of the work is that whereas one can find frequent examples of expressions from other sports such as baseball migrating into common, everyday English (e.g., strike out, pinch hitter, foul ball), the language of this book belongs largely to the world of golf and is therefore of less general interest. However, it is well done and will find its audience in large public libraries.
- John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, N.J.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Peter Davies has undertaken a monumental task and carried it off in fine style. His dictionary will make a valuable addition to any serious golfer’s library and should be one that never gathers dust.”—Arnold Palmer

(Arnold Palmer )

“A fascinating look into the often arcane and sometimes amusing language of our game. I’m sure golfers and golf fans will find it enlightening and entertaining reading.”—Jack Nicklaus

(Jack Nicklaus )

“As golfers we all respect the traditions of the game which separate it from any other sport. Peter Davies’s definitions help us all to understand the evolution and facets of the game that we just take for granted today.”—Gary Player

(Gary Player ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: M. Kesend Pub.; First Edition edition (October 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935576444
• ISBN-13: 978-0935576443
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,108,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best source on golfing terms, December 31, 2000

By 

dcnicholls "dcnicholls" (Canberra, A.C.T. Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms: From 1500 to the Present (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for people curious about the meaning and origins of golfing terms. It covers historical words - for example the old names of clubs in the hickory era - and current words and their origins. I get emailed regularly about such things via my website, and this is the source I turn to to answer the tricky questions. It's also worth looking for an old copy of John Stobbs' 1964 book "An ABC of Golf", but Davies' book is the definitive source. DN

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, September 25, 2005

By 

Jennifer K. Paweleck-Bellingrodt, Psy.D. (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms (Hardcover)

this comprehensive resource covers a wide range of golf trivia. very interesting to see the origins of golf and follow the evolution of the sport. great book for anyone curious about golf.