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From Mental Floss, the premier destination for curious minds, comes a deep dive into the the world of words! You’ll discover the surprising (and sometimes very dark) origins of common terms, a guide to quirky old-timey words, a timeline of popular slang, tips & tricks to win at every word game, from Scrabble to Wordle, a collection of the best literary insults, and much more!

Ever wonder if there is a synonym for the word synonym? Or why people really hate the word “moist?” Maybe you want to know why we tell a person to take something “with a grain of salt,” or why McDonalds went to war with a dictionary. From obscure words to the best literary insults ever written, this linguistic miscellany is sure to spice up your vocabulary, make you a whizz at word games, and prepare you for plenty of wordy repartee for your next soiree, with some of the most bizarre terms you never knew you needed.

A CACOPHONY OF WORDS: Learn the meaning and surprising history of hundreds of words and phrases

LOTS OF LISTS: Discover curated collections of literary insults, old-timey words, popular slang, and much more

WORD GAME WIZ: Includes tips for mastering popular word games from Scrabble to Wordle

WIT FOR WRITERS: Writers looking for just the right word will be inspired by hundreds of unusual and obscure words

REFERENCE FOR READERS: Fans of every genre, from Norse Myths to Victorian Romance will find histories, origins, and backstories of the words that make up their favorites reads

COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION: Mental Floss: The Curious Reader, Mental Floss: The Curious Movie Buff, and Mental Floss: The Curious Viewer are also available