Crystal's Curiosity Cabinet - An English Language Miscellany

What do a comic alphabet, a glorious lipogram and a wellerism have in common? Or, an audit of accountants, an illusion of magicians, and an intrusion of spammers? And do you know how Shakespeare pronounced his name? Anyone with an interest in language is likely to be an observer and collector of curiosities, and often a contributor. And when the interest is lifelong, the collection can become quite large. David Crystal, one of the greatest British linguists of our time, has been a collector for as long as he can remember and has gifted us this uniquely personal collection of English language curiosities to provide an entertaining and informative read on the bizarre nature of language. Following the tradition of the Victorian miscellany, this English Language Miscellany gathers together essential facts and fascinating insights into random words, collected over a number of years. With wide-ranging topics that reflect many of the language issues that loom large in the popular mind, such as accents, dialects etymology, proverbs, place names, punctuation, everyday usage, and language change, and global, national, historical and present-day themes, presented in bite-sized chunks, this book is the ideal gift for word lovers and fiends of fun-facts alike.

Product details

• Authors: David Crystal
• Publisher: CHAMBERS LTD., W. & R.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 16.10.2025
• EAN: 9781399823890
• ISBN: 978-1-399-82389-0
• No. of pages: 240
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; English, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / General, REFERENCE / Trivia, REFERENCE / Curiosities & Wonders, Language: reference & general, Language: history & general works, Language: reference and general, Language: history and general works