Gallimaufry: A Hodgepodge of our Vanishing Vocabulary (Hardcover)

by Michael Quinion (Author)
Key Phrases: Old English, Jane Austen, Samuel Pepys (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Michael Quinion, word scholar par excellence, provides an entertaining and informative look at many wonderful words and phrases that have mostly gone by the boards."--Daniel Boice, Catholic Library World


Product Description
When did you last hear someone refer to the wireless? What was the original paraphernalia? Would you wear a billycock?

Language is always changing, and in Gallimaufry: A Hodge-Podge of Words Vanishing from Our Vocabulary Michael Quinion has gathered together some fascinating examples of words and meanings which have vanished from our language. Sometimes a word is lost when the thing it describes becomes obsolete, sometimes it survives in a figurative sense while the original meaning is lost, and sometimes it simply gives way to a more popular alternative. The story of these and many other words opens a window into the lives of past speakers of the English language.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; illustrated edition edition (November 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198610629
• ISBN-13: 978-0198610625
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #670,181 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quinion's Quirky Quodlibet, January 29, 2007

By	J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Gallimaufry (noun) - 1. a dish made up of leftovers 2. a miscellaneous jumble or medley

Yup, that pretty much defines the contents of British lexicographer Michael Quinion's fourth book of word stories. His previous book, Port Out, Starboard Home and Other Language Myths (2004) was a surprise big seller. It was no surprise to me because I've been following his work for years. He is the proprietor of an indispensable website, World Wide Words ( www.worldwidewords.org ) that is well-known to word-freaks like me.

'Gallimaufry' focuses on the stories behind words that are disappearing (or have disappeared) from the language. It is divided into sections on food and drink, health and medicine, entertainment and leisure, transport and fashion and concludes with a delightful section on names, employment, and communications. We get the stories behind such words as (to take examples only from the transport section) brougham (named for a former Lord Chancellor), landau, barouche, cab (née cabriolet), hansom, and taxi, among others. Did you know that the original form of 'taxi' was 'taximeter cabriolet'? The 'taximeter' -- 'taxi', tariff; 'meter' measure -- part of the name indicated that a cab was the first public vehicle to measure the distance a fare was taken and to charge accordingly.

Quinion's style is lighthearted while learned. I found myself turning pages just to see what was next. Admittedly I'm fascinated by words, having been a reader for the Oxford English Dictionary for a number of years, but Quinion's way of explaining word histories is unfailingly delightful and I think this book could be as interesting to the non-word-freak as was, say, Bill Bryson's book, 'The Mother Tongue.' And it's a lot more factual.

Typography is attractive -- the subject words are in bold print, making browsing easy -- and there is a full index of the words treated in the text.

This book would make a fine birthday or other gift for the right sort of reader.

Scott Morrison

5.0 out of 5 stars Words, June 5, 2009

By	Gerald Keenan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Gallimaufry: A Hodgepodge of Our Vanishing Vocabulary (Paperback)

An absolutely fascinating exploration of the English language. Anyone who enjoys words or phrases will be captivated by this slim little volume. Writers, especially, should have this on their shelf next to the dictionary.

Jerry Keenan

4.0 out of 5 stars A True Gallimaufry, June 1, 2009

By	G. Patrick March (Lacey, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Gallimaufry: A Hodgepodge of Our Vanishing Vocabulary (Paperback)

A definition of "gallimaufry," according to author Quinion may well mean a dish made up of leftovers, but in this instance it is a treat filled with highly savory tidbits. Thorough research has produced a fascinating etymological result that is indeed a pleasure to read. Understandably, though, it lists dead or dying words that would be much more familiar to British than to American readers.