Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words: Gathered from Numerous and Diverse Authoritative Sources (Paperback)

by J. H. Byrne (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
First it must be known that all 6000 weird words lovingly compiled by Mrs. Byrne are "real" English words, legitimized by at least one major dictionary. That said, the inclusions are delightfully ludicrous, unfailingly obscure and often sadly missing from common parlance. The English language seems the poorer without "furfuraceous" (covered with dandruff), "omphaloskepsis" (meditation while gazing at one's navel) or "blabagogy" (a criminal environment). It's the most addictively interesting dictionary imaginable.

Product Description
A supplemental reference provides an offbeat source of unusual, obscure, and very legitimate English language terms, clearly and whimsically defined for the benefit of those needing "just the right word." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Citadel (September 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806504986
• ISBN-13: 978-0806504988
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #728,265 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superlative, in a class by itself..., August 30, 2001

By	John Parsons (Mpls., MN) - See all my reviews

A wonderful resource for logophiles who have already searched through a standard unabridged dictionary. If you love words, you will love this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sesquipedalian Verbotopia, January 11, 1997

By A Customer

My copy of Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary is, by far, the most dilapidated, dog-eared, written-upon and coffee-stained book now in my possession.
It is not because I hate the book that I have so thoroughly destroyed it. It is, rather, the fact that I refer to it all the time, and take copious notes -- which wind up all over its pages.

If you love words, this is the book I would recommend. You will find an inexhaustible supply of some of the most arcane and ludibund words in our language within these pages.
A great gift for the rantallion in us all!
Dave Beckwith
Founder/President
Charlotte Internet Society

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intellectual fast food that satisfies the growing appetite., October 26, 2006

By	Laurel F. Parker "acorn to oak" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words (Hardcover)

I bought this for my son when he was 10. He wore it to tatters, so I am here on Amazon to replace it for him. He's now 15, and has been bemoaning it's loss for about a year. He used to carry this around and use it as an ice breaker, and other kids his age thought it was really cool. He's gone on to Shakespeare, Plato, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Keys to the Kingdom etc.but Mrs. Byrnes remains his all time favorite book.

Dictionaries are rarely considered pleasure reading, but this one definately fits that bill. An advantage for a young reader is that they can get a lot of knowledge without reading a lot. Yup - Intellectual fast food. Could be addictive.