On the Tip of My Tongue: The perfect word for every life moment

by Tom Read Wilson

In On the Tip of My Tongue, logophile and television star Tom Read Wilson takes a delicious dive into the etymology and usage of words, euphemisms and bon mots.

Written with his trademark sparkling wit, the star of Celebs Go Dating and self-avowed word-lover presents a hilarious and fascinating guide which aims to leave you never lost for words again.

Divided into sections spanning dating, personal development, show business, compliments, curses, and how to dodge offence while speaking your mind, this book will equip you with the words needed to navigate all the situations of modern life with style and grace.

From  treppenwitz  (the German word for the feeling of a missed riposte in an argument) to Callipygian (a 17th Century word referring to someone with well shaped buttocks) to JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out), this guide covers a wide and varied range of words, from those with roots in antiquity to new ones being coined in the present day.

With Tom’s wit and lifelong love of words by your side, you'll always be able to pick the perfect word, phrase or quip, whether you are trying to understand the many metaphors for sex or trying to tell your mother you love her.

This is a delightful and hilarious etymological solution to the dilemmas and conundrums of modern life and a must-read for every budding vocabularian.

Genres: Nonfiction, Words

177 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2022

Reviews

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

What started out as a personal guide to some words, starting very nicely (if wrongly) with some theatrical terms, moving on through some subjects plucked utterly at random, and giving us a deep dive into where we get the name for some of our garden and house plants from, then jumped ship into a "please love my pronouns" woke-fest of the gayest order. Not what the doctor ordered, at all. Apparently the compiler is an actor (in two things nobody has heard of) and presents something utterly chavvy on E4, a British TV channel never once looked to for anything edifying. I did wonder why the beginning was reluctant to tell us anything about the authority of the people behind this – now I know. I dare say people will shout me down as "cheugy" (or whatever the American neologism for 'sensible' is this month), but if they can actually come up with a justification for this book's existence my jaw will be dropping in disbelief.

[D. T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The words we use are an intimate portrait of ourselves, as the author notes, and in this lighthearted and informative book, Wilson is a playful, erudite, and unabashed lover of words. We get to know him through a selection of words in a wide variety of subjects, from the highfalutin to the rudely lowbrow, but always with a delightful wink, an explanation of the words’ origins, and their often surprising lexical siblings (like companion and pantry; aspiration, respiration, and conspire; radish, eradicate, and radical). I love it when I can learn and expand my understanding of the language I speak, and this was an especially nice way to do that.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first stumbled across Tom on a podcast a year ago, he was so lovely to listen to, that I immediately bought his book. Having finally finished it, I can say it was as lovely as he; I especially enjoyed learning the history of my known phrases and seeing their connection to others (nausea: nautical / astronaut). I'm only rating it 4 stars because of a few chapters - specifically the PT and Culinary - didn't possess the same magic as the rest of the book.

[Alice LikesReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neat book with splendid words & their fascinating origins. I knew very few of these, and it has certainly changed how I view and use words. However, it does take a bit of time to adjust to the unique writing style.

[Lindsey's Literary Leanings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love Tom, and also etymology being a big reader. I read this book in less than a day. It is fascinating and hugely funny, especially the chapter on ways to dodge offense. I will buying his children's books for my partner's neices.

[Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as delightful and fun as I had expected it to be!

[Lauren Hendren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every minute of this book and found myself saying words aloud just for the fun of it. Just as pulchritudinous as the author.

[Tawni · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun! I only wish there‘d been even more examples of how to use some of the more unique words and phrases. A couple of example sentences after each entry would have been a nice addition!

[Peggy Collings · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose Tim Read Wilson’s humor is in the delivery. His Instagram posts are really funny; this book didn’t really tickle me. He is clearly a lover of words and a student of language.

[Yzzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's a WC book. something you browse while on the throne

[Sampurna Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book needs better examples. And less pretentious writing.