An illuminating excavation of our linguistic origins from ancient times to the present day - the perfect Christmas gift for your favourite word nerd

Olivia Swarthout, creator of the viral sensation Weird Medieval Guys, turns her idiosyncratic and humorous eye to the fascinating roots of the English language. Here, she introduces readers to wordspotting, a hobby for those who love words and their peculiarities, origins and histories. From the seemingly modern 'unfriend' - which dates back to the seventeenth century - to the revelation that the leotard was named after its inventor Jules Léotard, The Wordspotter's Guide brims with fascinating linguistic tidbits alongside advice and techniques for detecting the bizarre and unlikely commonalities between words and their meanings. An invitation to pay better attention to words and their stories, this etymological romp will bring out the wordspotter in everyone.

Details

ISBN13: 9781805226208
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 336
Edition: Main
Publication Date: 03 Nov 2026
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 21.8(H)x13.6(L)x3.4(W)440
Weight (gm): 440

Author Biography

Olivia Swarthout is a German-American author from Montana, USA who currently resides in London. A lifelong aficionado for all things strange and obscure, Olivia's work centres around unearthing the most unexpected and entertaining stories from the annals of human history. In so doing, she hopes to help her audience connect with the distant past and share in her sense of kinship with its inhabitants - who were, after all, not so different from us. Olivia is also the author of Weird Medieval Guys, a love letter to the creativity, hilarity, and timeless appeal of art from the Middle Ages.Olivia is a name that arose as a variation of the Latin Oliva, meaning "olive", popularised in the English-speaking world by the heroine of William Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night. Swarthout is a surname of Middle Dutch origin that roughly translates to "Black Forest." It probably originated near a Frisian forest of the same name, but neither the woods nor their inhabitants are around to say for sure.

Reviews

Swarthout is a warm, knowledgeable tour guide of the English language, taking you on a thought-provoking stroll through history -- Adam Aleksic, bestselling author of ALGOSPEAK
An insanely original exploration of where our words come from, and how much historical power they contain. But proceed with care: your newfound authority may just make you insufferable -- Simon Garfield, author of JUST MY TYPE
Swarthout offers rich pickings and linguistic titbits galore in The Wordspotter's Guide, breaking down words in the manner of a geologist to discover their origins and relations ... [she] is scholarly without being pompous, explaining the complex roots and branches of language as if she was speaking with sparkling eyes over a glass of wine ... This is a book worth wandering into * Country Life *
Immensely readable, full of learning and very entertaining. Olivia Swarthout shows how words are a source of stories and of knowledge across time and across human society. With energy, humour and learning she demonstrates that words have inner lives, often surprising, wayward and ambiguous. This is an enjoyable and readable book that will teach readers something about the language we use every day -- Anthony Bale, author of A TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE MIDDLE AGES
Every word tells a story, and Swarthout has scooped up some of the best. From internal anatomy to outer space, her light-hearted joyride through English etymology will enrich your appreciation of the lore beneath our language -- Eli Burnstein, author of DICTIONARY OF FINE DISTINCTIONS
Part field guide, part bestiary - a joyful hunt through the weird and wonderful world of the English language -- Rebecca Lee, author of ROGUES, WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
Hugely enjoyable. Reading The Wordspotter's Guide was like following a plough as it unearths the fossils of the English language -- Shaun Bythell, author of THE DIARY OF A BOOKSELLER
Word nerds can unite around this book for lovers of the English language ... Smart, scholarly, perceptive and engaging, this book is a must-read for anyone obsessed with language and communication * Library Journal *
Praise for WEIRD MEDIEVAL GUYS * : *
A gently fascinating insight into the marginalia of a lost era * Guardian *
The best gift book there is ... I genuinely struggle to think of a person who might not love it * Independent - Best Books to Gift (and gift again) *
Full of illuminating snippets that is sure to brighten up the darkest of times ... we love this book * Blackwells *
Brilliantly funny ... Olivia celebrates the wonderful weirdness of the past in this gleeful book * Simple Things - Christmas Gift Guide 2023 *
Weird Medieval Guys is a riot ... it is enticingly re-readable and will remain a favourite for the non-expert, while also being enjoyable to the specialist * Morning Star *