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In On the Tip of My Tongue, logophile and television star Tom Read Wilson takes a delicious dive into the etymology and usage of words, euphemisms and bon mots.
Written with his trademark sparkling wit, the star of Celebs Go Dating and self-avowed word-lover presents a hilarious and fascinating guide which aims to leave you never lost for words again.
Divided into sections spanning dating, personal development, show business, compliments, curses, and how to dodge offence while speaking your mind, this book will equip you with the words needed to navigate all the situations of modern life with style and grace.
From treppenwitz (the German word for the feeling of a missed riposte in an argument) to Callipygian (a 17th Century word referring to someone with well shaped buttocks) to JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out), this guide covers a wide and varied range of words, from those with roots in antiquity to new ones being coined in the present day.
With Tom's wit and lifelong love of words by your side, you'll always be able to pick the perfect word, phrase or quip, whether you are trying to understand the many metaphors for sex or trying to tell your mother you love her.
This is a delightful and hilarious etymological solution to the dilemmas and conundrums of modern life and a must-read for every budding vocabularian.
List of contents
Introduction
How to tool up before we get started
How to
speak like a thespian
decline politely, or impolitely
throw shade (and keep your dignity intact)
say it with flowers
talk about gender
colour your emotions
identify emotional overload
dodge offence (while speaking your mind)
describe all your corporeal bits and juices
talk euphemistically about the bathroom
follow Mrs Higgins's advice and talk about the weather
have fun with collective nouns
speak like a movie star
wax rhapsodic
be brave
describe what you do (and how you are remunerated)
talk about money (if you must)
describe just how far you would like to go, how much you want and when
sashay with sartorial elegance
navigate the many metaphors of sex
describe each chapter of a love affair
be naughty but nice
speak like a personal trainer verbivore
allow the culinary to feed our discourse
let the music in
successfully close your lexical bin
A Final Word
Thanks
Index
About the author
Tom Read Wilson is a TV presenter, actor, and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in 2011, where he studied Musical Theatre and performed in plays and musicals all over the world, Tom stole the nation’s hearts as the hilarious receptionist on Celebs Go Dating. Tom continues to be a regular on our TV screens, among other things, having won Celebrity Mastermind (BBC1), placed 2nd on Celebrity Best Home Cook (BBC1), and appearing on a multitude of shows such as The Wheel (BBC1), 8 out of 10 Cats (Ch4), and Celebrity Juice (ITV). Aside from professional pursuits, supporting the Arts and green initiatives is a great passion for Tom; he is an active campaigner for Wildwood and The Kent Wildlife Trust, as well as an Ambassador for Acting For Others. Tom is a devout logophile who hosts a regular podcast Tom Read Wilson has words with… and has been posting his Word of Day videos since 2016. Find Tom on Twitter and Instagram @TomReadWilson.
Summary
Navigate every situation in modern life with eloquence and grace with this curated list of words featuring witty analysis of their origins, meanings, and practical applications.
In On the Tip of My Tongue, logophile and television star Tom Read Wilson takes a delicious dive into the etymology and usage of all kinds of words, euphemisms, and bon mots.
Divided into sections spanning dating, personal development, show business, compliments, curses, complaining without being a Karen, and more, discover words and phrases like:
- Companion: Panis is the Latin root meaning “bread”. At first glance, companion seems to be no companion of our root. However, etymologically, we have a “person one breaks bread with”. Companion, as we use it today, may seem adrift from its root but it is not the only word that metamorphosed, over time, from mere dining partner to chum: Mate comes from the Old English mete, which once meant all food – not just animal flesh. So your mate was the person with whom you shared your meat. Isn’t that lovely?
- I have become the Bayeux Tapestry: There are, naturally, occasions – though they are of course rare – where one is just too tired to attend a party. Tired, fatigued, flat, all sound so beige and drear-full that I always find myself leaning toward euphemism instead. My favourite is “threadbare”. However, sometimes even threadbare gets a bit threadbare so I plump for the most famous of all threadbare pieces to demonstrate the point.
- JOMO: Acronyms tend to be quite bold. The reduction of a phrase to single initials is often an endeavour to soften it while retaining your core assertion. Acronyms remove the sting. Somehow, telling your chum that you experienced JOMO missing that dinner party when you were rather threadbare is a lot more innocuous than saying you felt the Joy Of Missing Out, which I experience a great deal more than its counterpart, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
With Tom’s wit and lifelong love of words by your side, you’ll
never be lost for words again, whether you are trying to understand the many metaphors for sex or trying to tell your mother you love her.
This is a delightful and hilarious etymological solution to the Dear Mary dilemmas and conundrums of modern life and
a must-read for every budding vocabularian.
Report
you'll do well to improve on this sparkling and idiosyncratic meditation on words and their meanings, from an actor-turned-writer... Marcus Berkmann Daily Mail
