The Superior Person's Book of Words [Mass Market Paperback]

Peter Bowler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0440204070 | ISBN-13: 978-0440204077 | Publication Date: February 1, 1990

Bowler provides an entertaining and edifying dictionary of superior words for vocabular exultation. In other words, a collection of more than 500 perfectly precise but often neglected words from acerebral to zzxjoanw. HC: David R. Godine.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Nothing short of a brief dictionary for those who aspire to linguistic snobbery. --St. Petersburg Times --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

Are you an Anglophile? (Stout fellow!) Just stand at this springboard and leave the fields of popinjay jabber and tongue-stumped battology behind forever! Stop up for big dividends in the giddy heights of superior speech. Peter Bowler will teach you the practical riches of saying it well with good words, neglected words, and precise words for vocabular exultation!

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Laurel (February 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440204070
• ISBN-13: 978-0440204077
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,569,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You, too can learn charientisms in your spare time!, June 28, 2004

By 

A. Ryan "Merribelle" (Westminster, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Superior Person's Book of Words (Mass Market Paperback)

I could feast all day on a book of fine words. To me, words have colors, flavors and textures. They roll around the tongue like savory morsels, each distinct. There is an art to combining them, much as there is an art to marrying flavors in haute cuisine. Sometimes a chef is adamant about a certain spice or food element for his special dish, as only that one will do to complete a complex palate. In the same way, I will search carefully for just the right word to complete my thoughts. It is a labor of love.

The Superior Person's Book of Words is just the thing if your dictionary proves uninspiring. Not only will you find just what you are looking for, but the entertaining and wry wit employed in the definitions will sally the keen reader upon new directions in sassy verbal repartee. Many of the listings are invaluable as veiled insults, and the author frequently highlights these with sample usage sentences. My only comment on that is, living with Peter Bowler must be like living with Oscar Wilde.

There are *some* pedestrian listings thrown in, presumably as padding. Or maybe they are intended as mollifiers for the "inferior" readers? In any case, words such as "heterosexual", "pastime" and "impalement" hardly count as tidbits for the esoteric lexicographer in my opinion. Thankfully, they are relatively few.

The best part of this book though is the way the author words the definitions. Some examples:
Papuliferous. Pimply. Typical condition of a groak.
Groak. One who stands around while others eat, in the hope that he will be invited to join in. A good name for a female relative's boyfriend.
Nugatory. Of no value, trifling, insubstantial, pointless. Unfavorable criticism of the present book could properly be so characterized.

Now how could you not adore a "dictionary" like this?
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book for lovers' of words, May 30, 2000

By 

A. F. Baker (Georgetown, KY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Superior Person's Book of Words (Hardcover)

I was lucky enough to find this book at a local used book store. I have always loved words, but I didn't know that books like this had been compiled for people like me. In introduction of this book, Peter Bowler states that words are weapons, which is exactly what you need to have in mind when attempting to use them. Although this world is full of a plethora of ignorant people, readers of this book must beware of using certain words that they think people won't recognize. For instance, beware of telling a teacher, boss, or client that he or she is acerebral. That person may have an easy time figuring out that this means that you are saying that the person to whom you are speaking doesn't have a brain. In other words, use your words wisely, and never assume that person who is taking your verbal abuse isn't reading the same book that you may have spent hours memorizing.

I am having a great time with this book. I'm just not able to give this book the highest rating. It would have been nice if Bowler had put a pronunciation guide to the words that are in this book. For some of the entries, it is easier to spell the words than it is to say them. Although it is no fault of the author, it is too bad that this book is no longer being published. This is the perfect kind of book to find at a used book store, but it would be nice to give this book as a gift (I won't give away my only copy). If you are lucky enough to find this book, don't miss your chance to purchase this jewel of a book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If only the pronunciation was included..., November 13, 2004

By 

W. Worth (Austin) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Superior Person's Book of Words (Mass Market Paperback)

I was thrilled when I found this book. I have enjoyed it immensely.

However, when learning new words to try out on friends, it strikes me that I'd like to be sure I'm pronouncing them correctly. Nothing like using a fabulous new word, only to mispronounce it. Peter, if you are out there - I'm faithfully awaiting a revision that includes the phonetic pronunciation of each word. Cheers!