500 Beautiful Words You Should Know

by Caroline Taggart

CRESTFALLEN at CHICANERY and CIRCUMLOCUTION? Have no TRUCK with TOMFOOLERY? Or OMNISCIENT about OBLOQUIES and OPSIMATHS? Whether you've answered yes, no or "sorry, I didn't catch that," this book is for you. It offers words that flow EXQUISITELY off the tongue; words that are just perfect for their meaning, like the lazy-sounding SLOTH and the heavy-footed GALUMPH; words that will make you sound clever, like DEUTERAGONIST and LETHOLOGICA; and words that are just fun to say, like LIQUEFACTION and LUXURIATE. It'll tell you where they come from, how to use them and whether you're likely to BAMBOOZLE anyone who's listening to you. With occasional special features on great words for colors, words from the Classics and words that make you laugh, this is a book to delight BIBLIOPHILES and BLATHERSKITES alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Reference

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2020

About the author

I was an editor for 30 years before Michael O’Mara Books asked me to write what became I Used to Know That. I think its success took everyone by surprise – it certainly did me – but it led to my writing a lot of other books and finally, after about three years, feeling able to tell people I was an author. It's a nice feeling.

Until recently the book I was most proud of was The Book of London Place Names (Ebury), partly because I am passionate about London and partly because, having written ten or so books before that, I finally felt I was getting the hang of it.

Now I have to confess I’m really excited by my first venture into continuous narrative. For A Slice of Britain: around the country by cake (AA) I travelled the country investigating, writing about and eating cake. From Cornish Saffron Cake to Aberdeen Butteries, I interviewed about 25 people who are baking cakes, biscuits and buns that are unique to their region, part of their heritage – and pretty darned delicious. The Sunday Times reviewed it and described me as ‘engaging, greedy and droll’, which pleased me enormously.

Reviews

[Ruth Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a writer and an avid reader, this wonderful book was the perfect Christmas present. I savoured the feel of it, enjoyed the cover and then dived straight in to "Words that are perfect for their meanings." Reading this was like selecting chocolates from a deluxe box, perhaps decorated with gold leaf. It would be appropriate to refer to the book as "nonpareil", confess that I became slightly "monastic" while reading it, refused to become "tergiversated" , and need to shout about it from the roof tops, using "majuscule" letters of course. An absolute delight.

[Charlotte Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet book that I've been meaning to read over the years instead of just thumbing through it. I'm pleased to say I've tabbed a good handful of words that I'll be using in my own book - something to make descriptions a bit fun (and sound more intelligent)

I'm a sucker for unknown words and their in-depth meanings, I usually find them on Pinterest and save them to a board for journaling - one of these words even became the title of my final art piece for my Uni exhibition!

Lovely book and worth the quick read!

[Jane Riordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are an avid reader, or write lots, then you might find that you already know quite a few of these 500 words. To give Caroline Taggart her due though, she doesn't claim that these are unusual words, but 'beautiful'.

It is interesting to discover the origins of the words and the examples of possible uses for them are amusing.

I found the most enjoyable chapter the one entitled 'Who Knew There Was A Word For It?'

[Nori Fitchett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet little coffee table book that would delight any fan of the English language

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book for those of us who simply enjoy reading the dictionary, learning new words along with their updated meanings.

[danielle; ▵ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The descriptions were nice enough, but I’ll never read another of this type of book. But I suppose such books are supposed to be more a thing to flip through than to read from cover to cover.

[Matt Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little collection that categorizes some words you know, some you don't, and some you definitely need to look up on google for how to pronounce them. Easy to read with corky tidbits of knowledge and use cases injected here and there from the author. Great coffee table book!