scijessreads

• Genre: nonfiction
• TW/CW: language
• Recommend: with caveats

I was fortunate to get to read this as an ARC (through NetGalley). I will begin my short review by noting that the copies we get as ARC readers are often not in final format, and some of my issues with reading this may be alleviated in the final print copy due to format changes/adjustments. I tried very hard to not let my issues with the formatting influence my review of the content. The expected publication date for this book is October 31st, 2023.

Zafarris has created a veritable feast of language and etymology, mostly focused on words we commonly think of as vulgar or profane (or have otherwise less than positive connotations). This book was an interesting look at where these words that we use today came from, and how some of them changed in use and meaning over time. English has long been known as a language that pulls and steals from many others, and we see some of that in action here.

While I enjoyed the idea of the book, in the end, it didn’t quite solidify for me in execution. There were a few times when the author seemed to have a lot of fun adding in words as descriptors that did not actually add anything to the narrative. There were also points where it felt like reading a textbook and not something geared toward a wider audience.

If you are a fan of history, a fan of language, or a fan of reading about “naughty” words, this book will be for you. There is quite a bit here that will satisfy the craving for word aficionados to learn something new about terms they may not think twice about using in daily life.