{"product_id":"useless-etymology-offbeat-word-origins-for-curious-minds-hardcover","title":"Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJess Zafarris\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eDid you know that an \"astronaut\" is literally a \"star sailor,\" that a thesaurus is, in fact, a \"treasure\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003etrove\" of words, and that someone who is \"sinister\" is actually just \"left-handed\"?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eHave you ever wondered why English isn't considered a Romance language if 60% of our\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003ewords are Latin-derived?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eDid Shakespeare really invent 1,700 words, and if not, why the heck do we say that he did?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eWhy is the English language stuffed with so many synonyms?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Let's be real: English can seem pretty bonkers. And, well, sometimes it is. But through thorough thought and a pinch of curiosity, method can be found within the madness of our modern tongue-even within the disparate pronunciation of the words \"through,\" \"thorough,\" and \"thought.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Derived from Germanic, Romance, Hellenic, Semitic, African and Native American languages, English contains multitudes. It has been (and continues to be) transformed by war and conquest, art and literature, science and technology, love and hate, wit and whim. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eUseless Etymology\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers on a time-traveling adventure to unlock the beauty, wonder, and absurdity within our everyday words, how they came to be, and the unexpected ways their origins weave a global, cross-cultural labyrinth of meaning. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Filled with fun facts and delightful discoveries, this is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to know more about why the English language works the way that it does.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eJess Zafarris is the author of the etymology books \u003ci\u003eWords From Hell\u003c\/i\u003e (Chambers, 2023) and \u003ci\u003eOnce Upon a Word \u003c\/i\u003e(Rockridge Press 2020). Jess is an educational content creator and blogger who focuses on etymology and word-history-focused deep dives and explanations on her TikTok channel @jesszafarris and website uselessetymology.com. She also co-hosts the \u003ci\u003eWords Unravelled\u003c\/i\u003e podcast. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e She has appeared on podcasts including \u003ci\u003eDear Hank and John\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSocial Pros\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFailing Writers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eYeah That's Probably an Ad\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eAuthor2Author\u003c\/i\u003e. Previously a content and engagement director, journalist, editor, and social media strategist responsible for developing multimedia content for brands, publishers and media outlets such as \u003ci\u003eAdweek\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRagan Communications\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWriter's Digest\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eScript\u003c\/i\u003e, Jess also contributed to the tabletop game League of the Lexicon and the Writer's Digest Daily Calendar 2020, and both her master's and undergraduate degrees focused on the development of English through literature, as well as journalism, anthropology and language studies.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.3 x 7.9 x 5.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 07, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52756698071347,"sku":"9781399809184","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/DtPQPdVem9781399809184.webp?v=1764403179","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/useless-etymology-offbeat-word-origins-for-curious-minds-hardcover","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}