Word for Today

by Roly Sussex

Did you know that the word salary comes from the Latin sal for ‘salt’, since part of the payment to Roman soldiers was in salt? That braces and suspenders used to refer to different items of clothing? Or that trolls have migrated from fairytales to online discussion forums?

The English language is currently going through a period of tremendous ferment, growth and expansion. Old ‘rules’ are being challenged, or weakened. New ones are emerging. And mistakes and misuses are popping up with all the speed that the internet can provide. For over two decades, linguist Roly Sussex has documented the nature and evolution of the English Language on his popular weekly ABC Radio program ‘Word for Today’.

For the first time, the best of these reflections on word origins, neologisms and misuses are collected in this witty and insightful book. With Word for Today, you’ll always have a word for tomorrow.

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2020

Reviews

[Andopoulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history of a variety of English words, especially the final section about common confusions that would be great for people learning the language.

There was a large section through the middle of the book that focused on new words such as "ghosting" and "YOLO", and as someone who has kept up to date with modern trends, these parts were written as if they were speaking to people who've been living under a rock.

Good for the home library but feels more like a collection of digital articles in book form.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd be that interested to know the difference between sewage & sewerage, but I was!