Words Christmas Gave Us by Grace Tierney

Pages: 223

Publisher: Wordfoolery Press

Release Date: September 9, 2024

 

Blurb

“Words Christmas Gave Us” unwraps the stories behind the season, via festive words from advent to yule and grinch to scurryfunge.

This book, the third in the series, explores the influence of Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Tudors, Dickens, and of course Santa Claus on worldwide traditions, merry music, decorations, feasts, and more. Discover why Jean-Paul Sartre wrote a nativity play, when Jingle Bells was sung in space, who gave us gingerbread houses, what Christmas decoration used to contain false teeth, and how a newspaper typo started Santa tracking.

Pull on your Santa hat, make a wish, and dive into the words and history of Christmas.

Ideal for word geeks, Christmas enthusiasts, and anybody who’s ever said Bah Humbug or Ho Ho Ho.

 

Review

Words Christmas Gave Us, is, as the title and the blurb suggest a book all about words about and relating to Christmas. Over the course of thirteen chapters with titles ranging from Christmas Feasting to Salmangundi a host of Christmas-related words and customs, presented in alphabetical order within each chapter, are introduced and explained.

While that description of this book is accurate, it doesn’t do the wonders you’ll find on its pages justice. By the time I finished reading I had six pages of handwritten notes. Don’t worry, I won’t be sharing all of them here. After all, I don’t want to spoil the joy of discovering where words and customs originated for you. But if you’ve ever wondered why there are no figs in figgy pudding or mince in mince pies, if you’re curious about where the idea of a flying sleigh originally came from, or surprised to hear that there are two types of chestnut tree in Ireland and that only one of them produces edible chestnuts, this might well be the book for you. In fact, if you’re still trying to figure out what on earth the salmangundi I mentioned in the previous paragraph might be, you should pick up a copy of Words Christmas Gave Us.

Apart from a Christmas-themed Lexicon, Words Christmas Gave Us is a well-written, easy-to-read, and captivating work of non-fiction. Some words, such as gizzard and the aforementioned salmangundi (yes, I fell in love with that word), were new to me while I also found myself learning more about words and customs I considered myself familiar with.

This book can easily be read and enjoyed from cover to cover but would work just as well if you prefer to dip in and out based on what particular Christmas-related word or custom you’re curious about. I can see myself returning to these pages in the future for a reminder or to double-check something. And if there is a better Christmas present for any person in your life with an interest in words and their origins I have yet to find it. I am sure the logophile in your life would only be too happy to spend their twixtmas between the covers of this captivating book.

  

August Reads

 

August was a good reading-month with eight books from a variety of genres and in two different languages. What's more, there wasn't a bad story among these titles.

MURDER IN AN IRISH VILLAGE (Irish Village Mystery #1) by Carlene O'Connor (3.5*)

After her parents’ untimely death in a car accident, Siobhan O’Sullivan is trying to keep the family’s bistro afloat and her siblings under control when a man is found sitting in the bistro with pink scissors protruding from his chest. When her brother is accused of the murder, Siobhan decides to investigate. I liked the book well enough but didn’t love it. For starters, it could have done with an extra round of editing. It also read like a book written specifically for the American market. The Irishness of the characters and the language they use felt like a parody.

A RECIPE FOR MURDER by G.S. Revel Burroughs (5*)

A clever, well-written, and captivating mystery. I enjoyed the book from start to finish and found it difficult to put my Kindle down.

A SUNLIT WEAPON (Maisie Dobbs #17) by Jacqueline Winspear (4.5*)

Much more than ‘just’ a mystery as what starts out as a local investigation into somebody taking potshots at spitfires and shooting at least one out of the sky meets international intrigue involving Eleanor Roosevelt. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed this Maisie Dobbs story.

ONE BAD APPLE by Jo Jakeman (4.5*)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is smooth, and the story captured my attention from the start. The characters in this book were recognisable as were the interactions between them. At times reading the book was a little like watching a car crash in slow motion as slowly but steadily relationships and reputations unravel. All of it kept me captivated from the opening paragraphs until the surprising and unconventional ending.

A FRONT-PAGE MURDER (Poppy Danby Investigates #1) by Fiona Veitch Smith (4*)

Previously published under the title The Jazz Files. While this is more a crime caper than a mystery and I did roll my eyes on quite a few occasions while reading A Front Page Murder, I had a hard time putting this book down. This story is pure entertainment for anybody who enjoys their mysteries with a generous helping of shenanigans. And while I think I prefer the Miss Clara Vale mysteries by this author, I’m pretty sure I’ll return to Poppy Denby’s adventures before too long.

FRIENDS OF DOROTHY by Sandi Toksvig (5+*)

I adored this book. It’s almost certainly going to be (one of) my favourite book(s) this year and goes straight to my ‘extra-special’ list. There is so much to love on these pages. Quirky and charming characters, lively dialogue, and not a boring moment, make this a memorable read. Friends of Dorothy is a delightful book! So much so that I want to live in Grimaldi Square, be part of that world, and become one of Dorothy’s friends.

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart (4*)

A story about four teenagers told by one of them, Cadence, as she tries to remember what happened two years previously. As the title of the book indicates, we’re dealing with an unreliable narrator; one who isn’t telling the (whole) truth, even to herself because her memory fails her. When the truth eventually emerges it comes as a huge shock, both to Cadence and to the reader. The writing was a bit flowery and over-descriptive to my liking at times but, given that the story is written from a teenager’s perspective and that teenagers are prone to exaggerating, I guess it fits the story.

GA JE ER OVER SCHRIJVEN? (ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE ABOUT IT?) by Herman Koch (4.5*)

A memoir/autobiography inspired by the author’s diagnosis with terminal prostate cancer but about so much more than just the disease and how he deals with it. I recognised a lot in what he wrote and not just in the passages about cancer but also in those about his parents, grief, and writing to name but a few.

Four of these titles have release dates in September and longer reviews can be found by clicking on the titles.:

A Recipe for Murder - September 9

One Bad Apple - September 19: 

A Front-Page Murder - September 24: 

Friends of Dorothy - September 26: