Fifty Words for Snow - Nancy Campbell

To celebrate the paperback release of Fifty Words for Snow by Nancy Campbell today, I am delighted to repost my review of this stunning book.  It really is as beautiful inside as out so make sure to pick up a copy for yourself.

 

The perfect winter gift – each of these linguistic snow crystals offers a whole world of myth and story.

In this lyrical, evocative book, Arctic traveller and award-winning writer Nancy Campbell digs deep into the meanings and etymologies, the histories and the futures of fifty words for snow, using them as clues to the many ways in which we are all connected to one another and to our planet.

From Iceland to Hawaii, every language and culture has its own word for the magical, mesmerising flakes that fall from the sky. Fifty Words… is a journey from the ornate ice houses of country estates to the artificial snow of the movies, from the snow roads across the frozen lakes of Estonia to Kilimanjaro’s snowy peak – a meeting point between the human and the divine. Exploring language in its broadest sense, Campbell includes American Sign Language for ‘snowboard’ and shares how the Inuktitut oral language came to be transcribed. 

What did I think?

Everything single thing about Fifty Words for Snow is stunning: the mesmerising frosty cover, the continuation of the design on to the endpapers, a beautiful snowflake dividing each chapter and, last but not least, the interesting and informative words within.  

Although I read Fifty Words for Snow cover to cover for the purposes of review, it could also be a book to dip in which to dip in and out.  I think it would be a great winter activity to choose a word a day from this book and read the story behind the word.  The only difficult thing would be to close the book after reading just one chapter as I was so charmed and delighted by the stories that I couldn't wait to see what would come next.

As much as this is a book that celebrates climate, it is also a celebration of language.  Seeing words in languages I hadn't even heard of, such as Ojibwemowin and Tamazight, suggests that Nancy Campbell did indeed scour the globe for the fifty best words for snow.  The chapters are perfectly balanced with the stories behind each word appearing to be both detailed and concise.  

There's something for everyone in Fifty Words for Snow, whether you're interested in climate, language or just want to broaden your general knowledge.  I love reading about global myths and legends so I was fascinated by the beautiful Cherokee tale that explains why the pine tree is evergreen and the legend of the snow woman of Japan who disappears as fast as melting snow.  There are some amazing words to discover in this book and although I would find it very hard to name a favourite, I was rather ticked by the final word: suncups.  It's such a simple but perfectly descriptive word and was perfectly placed to end the book.

Fifty Words for Snow is a hugely entertaining and informative book, written in such a warm and engaging style that makes you read 'just one more chapter', which is rare to find in non-fiction.  It's the perfect gift for linguists, booklovers or that hard to buy for person.  I would highly recommend buying a physical copy as even though the words are beautiful whether you're reading on kindle or a physical copy, the hardback is seriously stunning.

Thank you to Elliott and Thompson for sending me a beautiful hardback to review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the author:

Nancy Campbell is an award-winning writer, described as ‘deft, dangerous and dazzling’ by the former Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy and whose writing has been inspired by the polar regions.

Her travels in the Arctic resulted in several projects responding to the environment; The Library of Ice: Readings in a Cold Climate was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2019; Disko Bay, shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection 2016 and How to Say ‘I Love You’ in Greenlandic received the Birgit Skiöld Award 2015. In 2020 she was the recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for her published work on the polar regions. She is currently a Literature Fellow at Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia in Germany.

Website: www.nancycampbell.co.uk

Twitter: @nancycampbelle

Instagram: @nancycampbelle

Hyphens & Hashtags - Claire Cock-Starkey

 

The punctuation marks, mathematical symbols and glyphs which haunt the edges of our keyboards have evolved over many hundreds of years. They shape our understanding of texts, calculations and online interactions. Without these symbols all texts would run in endless unbroken lines of letters and numbers. 

Many hands and minds have created, refined and promulgated the symbols which give form to our written communication. Through individual entries discussing the story behind each example, 'Hyphens & Hashtags' reveals the long road many of these special characters have taken on their way into general use. 

In the digital age of communication, some symbols have gained an additional meaning or a new lease of life – the colon now doubles up as the eyes of a smiling face emoticon and the hashtag has travelled from obscurity to an essential component of social media. Alongside historical roots, this book also considers ever-evolving modern usage and uncovers those symbols which have now fallen out of fashion. 

'Hyphens & Hashtags' casts a well-deserved spot-light on these stalwarts of typography whose handy knack for summing up a command or concept in simple shorthand marshals our sentences, clarifies a calculation or adds some much-needed emotion to our online interactions.

What did I think?

I love everything about Claire Cock-Starkey's books from their handy size to the wealth of fascinating information contained within, so I was really looking forward to reading her new book Hyphens & Hashtags and I was not disappointed.  

Written in four sections: punctuation, glyphs, mathematical symbols and endangered & extinct symbols, readers can learn about the origin and evolution of both familiar and lesser known symbols.  There's even a chapter on emoticons and emoji to bring us right up to date.  I was equally fascinated by the chapters on symbols I use frequently as I was by those that I hadn't heard of.

I love the short yet informative chapters that are written in such a concise manner that keeps the reader entertained and ensures that you don't feel like you're reading a textbook.  Although I read it cover to cover and was completely captivated, it's a book of which you can dip in and out or flick to a preferred chapter as desired.  I can see my copy being well-thumbed over the coming years as I refer back to it to entertain and enlighten my friends and family.

It's surprising to read that some symbols were on the verge of extinction until the rise of the internet but they have now become an absolute necessity when writing an email or a tweet.  A keyboard would be useless in the digital age without the '@' and '#' symbols.  Of all of the extinct symbols I read about, I really wish the interrobang had taken off - a streamlining symbol that combines the question mark and the exclamation mark and saves both keystrokes and space in the text.  Really?!?!

Another little gem from Claire Cock-Starkey, Hyphens & Hashtags is as entertaining as it is informative and it's a fantastic addition to my ever-growing Bodleian Library collection.

Many thanks to Claire Cock-Starkey and The Bodleian Library for sending me an ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Fifty Words for Snow - Nancy Campbell

 

Fifty international words for snow, revealing a whole world of culture, myth and story – explored by an award-winning writer.

Every language and culture has its own word for the magical, mesmerising flakes that fall from the sky. From Iceland to Hawaii, frozen forest to mountain peak, school yard to park, snow may be welcomed, feared, played with or prized. In this lyrical, evocative book, Arctic traveller and award-winning writer, Nancy Campbell, digs deep into the meanings and etymologies, the histories and the futures of fifty words for snow from across the globe, using them as clues to the many ways in which we are all connected to one another and to our planet.

Fifty words… is a journey from the ornate ice houses on country estates to the artificial snow of the movies, the construction of iglu by Inuit, and jäätee, the ice roads across frozen lakes of Estonia. Exploring language in its broadest sense, Campbell includes American Sign Language for snowboard and shares how the Inuktitut oral language came to be transcribed.

At a time of great environmental change, it is a celebration of climate, and a warning of what may be lost. 

What did I think?

Everything single thing about Fifty Words for Snow is stunning: the mesmerising frosty cover, the continuation of the design on to the endpapers, a beautiful snowflake dividing each chapter and, last but not least, the interesting and informative words within.  

Although I read Fifty Words for Snow cover to cover for the purposes of review, it could also be a book to dip in which to dip in and out.  I think it would be a great winter activity to choose a word a day from this book and read the story behind the word.  The only difficult thing would be to close the book after reading just one chapter as I was so charmed and delighted by the stories that I couldn't wait to see what would come next.

As much as this is a book that celebrates climate, it is also a celebration of language.  Seeing words in languages I hadn't even heard of, such as Ojibwemowin and Tamazight, suggests that Nancy Campbell did indeed scour the globe for the fifty best words for snow.  The chapters are perfectly balanced with the stories behind each word appearing to be both detailed and concise.  

There's something for everyone in Fifty Words for Snow, whether you're interested in climate, language or just want to broaden your general knowledge.  I love reading about global myths and legends so I was fascinated by the beautiful Cherokee tale that explains why the pine tree is evergreen and the legend of the snow woman of Japan who disappears as fast as melting snow.  There are some amazing words to discover in this book and although I would find it very hard to name a favourite, I was rather ticked by the final word: suncups.  It's such a simple but perfectly descriptive word and was perfectly placed to end the book.

Fifty Words for Snow is a hugely entertaining and informative book, written in such a warm and engaging style that makes you read 'just one more chapter', which is rare to find in non-fiction.  It's the perfect gift for linguists, booklovers or that hard to buy for person.  I would highly recommend buying a physical copy as even though the words are beautiful whether you're reading on kindle or a physical copy, the hardback is seriously stunning.

Thank you to Elliott and Thompson for sending me a beautiful hardback to review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the author:

Nancy Campbell is an award-winning writer, described as ‘deft, dangerous and dazzling’ by the former Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy and whose writing has been inspired by the polar regions.

Her travels in the Arctic resulted in several projects responding to the environment; The Library of Ice: Readings in a Cold Climate was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2019; Disko Bay, shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection 2016 and How to Say ‘I Love You’ in Greenlandic received the Birgit Skiöld Award 2015. In 2020 she was the recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for her published work on the polar regions. She is currently a Literature Fellow at Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia in Germany.

Website: www.nancycampbell.co.uk

Twitter: @nancycampbelle

Instagram: @nancycampbelle

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BLOG TOUR: Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers - Robin A. Crawford

The evocative vocabulary, wit and wisdom of the Scots language – from Robert Burns to Twitter.

Scottish writer and bookseller, Robin Crawford, has gathered 1,000 Scots words – old and new, classical and colloquial, rural and urban – in a joyful celebration of their continuing usage. His amusing, erudite definitions put each of these words in context, revealing their evocative origins and essential character. Delightful line drawings by Scottish printmaker Liz Myhill contribute to this treasury of linguistic gems for language lovers everywhere.

The Scots language is intricately bound up in the nation’s history, identity, land and culture. It is also a living and vital vernacular, used daily. With references to Robert Burns mingling with contemporary examples from Billy Connolly and even Monty Python, Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers revels in the richness of one of our oldest languages, and acts as a precious 

reminder of words that are also beginning to fade away, their meaning and value disappearing.

Clishmaclaver: the passing on of idle gossip, sometimes in a book.

Inkie-pinkie: weak beer.

Sodie-heid: literally, ‘head full of soda bubbles’, airhead.

Smowt: youngster, technically a young trout or salmon but also affectionately applied to a child.

Simmer dim: Shetland term for long summer evenings where due to the northern latitude it never really gets dark.

Dreich: grey, miserable, tedious; usually applied to weather but indicative of the Scots temperament, hence it being voted Scotland’s favourite word in a recent poll (or perhaps indicative of the temperaments of Scots who feel the need to participate in online polls): ‘It’s gey dreich the day.’

What did I think?

I absolutely love books that explore the meaning of words, usually in the English language, so I was very intrigued by Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers: a treasury of 1,000 Scottish words.  It is well named as a treasury as this book is a little gem; I read it cover to cover for review purposes but it's the perfect book to dip in and out of and be entertained and delighted every single time.

ailsa cock (puffin)

Appearance wise, the book is beautiful with shiny gold lettering and a lovely purple thistle on the front.  After the fabulous introduction (which includes regional translations of a line from Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo), the format is that of a dictionary but with stunning line drawings setting the theme of each section.  Each word is listed along with its meaning and often it's origin or an example of its usage.  I really enjoyed reading the excerpts of poems, novels and traditional rhymes and the sources are listed at the end of the book for any readers interested in further reading. 

I was surprised how many Scottish words we actually use in the North East of England and reading them in Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers brought to mind fond reminiscences of my childhood: playing dooky apples at Nanna's and giggling when my Uncles tickled me under the oxters.  I recall Nanna putting the sneck on to pop out for some messages and getting all the patter from the nebby women - this sentence might sound like a foreign language to some people but it makes complete sense to me.

The beauty of this book is that every reader will find something different that fascinates, intrigues or amuses them.  I started to make notes of my favourite words but there were just too many of them.  From the moment I picked up Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers and flicked through a few pages I knew that I was going to love it; it's a book that I will pick up over and over again and find something different every single time.  

Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers is a delightful addition to any bookcase and I expect my copy will be well thumbed and constantly recommended as these fabulous words are too good to keep to myself.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

kellas cat (wildcat)

Born in Glasgow, writer and Scottish bookseller Robin A. Crawford has a particular interest in the culture and natural heritage of his native land. He is the critically acclaimed author of Into The Peatlands: A Journey Through the Moorland Year, longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2019. He lives in Fife, Scotland, with his wife. He is available for interview.

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Ikigai & Other Japanese Words to Live By - Mari Fujimoto

Introducing and explaining some of the most poignant Japanese words, Ikigai is a lifestyle as well as a language book. From the wistful poetry of mono-no-aware, a word that asks us to recognize the bittersweet transience of all things, to the quiet harmony of wa, which knits together all of society’s structures, this book is an introduction to the intricacies and value of Japanese phrases and concepts. It hopes to inspire you to incorporate these words into your own lifestyle and adopt a more mindful attitude to life’s stresses, seeking meaning beyond materialism. 

In addition to over 40 ‘words to live by’, Ikigai features musings on the place of beauty, community, time and nature in Japanese thought, teaching mindfulness by way of compelling haikus, and illustrated by Michael Kenna’s reflective photography throughout.

What did I think?

When I think of Japanese people, a sea of serene and smiling faces comes to mind.  After reading Ikigai & other Japanese words to live by, I'm not surprised that they appear so happy and calm with such beautiful, meaningful words in their vocabulary.

The book is split into seven chapters: Harmony, Beauty, Nature, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Time and Respect, with a haiku (a 3 line Japanese poem) at the beginning of each chapter.  I've never been a poetry lover so these bite size poems are more my kind of thing and I rather surprisingly found myself lingering over the words and savouring their meaning.  Before we even get to the 'words to live by' there is a little essay on each chapter topic, however, this went completely over my head and I didn't really get it.  It might make more sense on the second reading, as I'm sure I'll be returning to this book for inspiration.

On to the words, which is the essence of the book.  My favourite section has to be 'Time' as I often say that time is something you never get back and particular moments in time cannot be repeated.  There's actually a Japanese phrase for this: 'Ichigo ichie' which means a once-in-a-lifetime encounter; a moment that cannot be repeated.  It's rather fitting for me (being a lifelong tea lover) that this phrase is attributed to renowned tea master Sen-no Rikyū and I'd already made a note to source some 'salty plum tea' that made my mouth water in the essay on gratitude.

I love black and white photography so I was completely spellbound by Michael Kenna's breathtaking images.  The images, coupled with the inspirational words and phrases, project an aura of calm and enlightenment, making Ikigai & other Japanese words to live by a book to savour and return to again and again.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Real McCoy - Claire Cock-Starkey

I absolutely adore Claire Cock-Starkey's books so I am thrilled to take part in the blog tour for her latest book: The Real McCoy.  I have a fascinating extract to share with you as I close the tour and you can also read my review of this brilliant book.

The extract I have for you is 'guillotine' and I'm sure you will find the story as riveting as I did, especially as not everyone is delighted to have their name attached to something for eternity.

The English language is rich with eponyms - words that are named after an individual - some better known than others. 

This book features 150 of the most interesting and enlightening specimens, delving into the origins of the words and describing the fascinating people after whom they were named. Eponyms are derived from numerous sources. Some are named in honour of a style icon, inventor or explorer, such as pompadour, Kalashnikov and Cadillac. Others have their roots in Greek or Roman mythology, such as panic and tantalise. A number of eponyms, however, are far from celebratory and were created to indicate a rather less positive association - into this category can be filed boycott, Molotov cocktail and sadist. 

Encompassing eponyms from medicine, botany, invention, science, fashion, food and literature, this book uncovers the intriguing tales of discovery, mythology, innovation and infamy behind the eponyms we use every day. 

The perfect addition to any wordsmith's bookshelf.

What did I think?

Oh my word, The Real McCoy is such a fascinating book.  If you haven't come across Claire Cock-Starkey's riveting little books then you really are missing out on a treat.  I recommend every single one of them; see my reviews of The Book Lovers' Miscellany and A Library Miscellany.

Have you ever wondered about the origin of some of the everyday words in our English language?  Claire Cock-Starkey has gathered together some of the most amazing stories behind some well-known words in this collection of 150 eponyms.  An eponym is a person after whom something is named and some obviously have a person's name in their title, such as Earl Grey tea, Bunsen burner and Alzheimer's disease but my eyes opened in surprise and delight as I read about the less obvious eponyms; such everyday words as cereal, hygiene and biro.

This is a book to read from cover to cover then to revisit by dipping in and out of in order to regale your family and friends with your favourite linguistic stories.  There are some familiar stories like wellington, cardigan and sandwich but, even though I already knew their origin, they are told in such a perfectly concise way as to jog your memory and help to digest the facts.  It's a book that you won't be able to help yourself sharing with others as I found myself reading some of the stories out loud to my family.  That really is the mark of a good book when you feel the need to share it with others.

I absolutely adored The Real McCoy; it's fascinating, informative and the perfect gift for that awkward to buy for book lover in your life.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



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BLOG TOUR: The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities - Paul Anthony Jones

I love quirky books so I am delighted to take part in the blog tour for The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities.  This book could not be named any better, it is a veritable Aladdin's Cave of lost words and fascinating historical events.  Not only is it written by an author local to me, it led to my discovery of his brilliant @HaggardHawks Twitter account for more wordy-frivolity.

I am sharing my review for the blog tour but also an excerpt so you can see how each day is set out.  To save quarrelling with myself over what word to share for the tour (there are so many that stand out), I am sharing the word of today: 23rd October.

A whole year's worth of linguistic curiosities, just waiting to be discovered.

Within these pages you might leap back in time, learn about linguistic trivia, follow a curious thread or wonder at the web of connections in the English language.

1 January quaaltagh (n.) the first person you meet on New Year's Day

1 April dorbellist (n.) a fool, a dull-witted dolt

12 May word-grubber (n.) someone who uses obscure or difficult words in everyday conversation

25 September theic (adj.) an excessive drinker of tea

24 December doniferous (adj.) carrying a gift

Paul Anthony Jones has unearthed a wealth of strange and forgotten words: illuminating some aspect of the day, or simply telling a cracking good yarn, each reveals a story. Written with a light touch that belies the depth of research it contains, this is both a fascinating compendium of etymology and a captivating historical miscellany. Dip into this beautiful book to be delighted and intrigued throughout the year.

What did I think?

When I first opened The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities, I thought it might feel like reading a dictionary or an encyclopedia but even though there is so much to take in, I just couldn't get enough of it.  I read it as if a month was a chapter, but I also found myself flicking forward each day to see what the word of the day was and what fascinating little-known historical event I could regale my family and friends with.  

It is a treasure trove of interesting words and historical information and how the author links history to the word of the day is nothing short of brilliant.  It's a word of the day, a history lesson, and a fascinating fact book that would be the PERFECT gift for that person who is so difficult to buy for.  I've always preferred real books to kindle, but I really do think you would benefit from a hardback edition of this book.  It's a book you will always have to hand, whether you refer to it every day or bring it out when friends come round.  

I can see my copy of The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities being a firm fixture in my bookcase.  Actually, it will probably be as much out of the bookcase as in it, as I can't foresee a day going by when I won't open this fascinating book.  In years to come I may have to rein in my bookish-OCD and see a dog-eared copy as a much loved, much handled book rather than a mistreated book.  There's sure to be a word for such a well-used book so I'd better keep my eye on Haggard Hawks!

The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities is an awe-inspiring collection of trivia and fascinating facts for linguists, history lovers or anyone who loves the unusual and peculiar.  Definitely one I recommend and this is one book I will not be lending to anyone as I couldn't bear not to have it close to hand.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




An excerpt from 23rd October:

thrimmel (n.)  to grudgingly repay a debt

Upon its independence in 1776, the United States was already in debt, and in 1789 that situation worsened when America assumed liability for $75 million of debts accumulated during the Revolutionary War. Concerted efforts brought that figure down to its lowest in history – $37,000 – by the mid 1830s, but spending on the military sent it spiralling back to the $1 bil- lion mark by the time of the Civil War. By the mid 1970s, debts had reached $500 billion, and on 23 October 1981, it was announced that the national debt of the United States had surpassed the $1 trillion mark for the very first time; half of that figure had been accumulated in just seven years. 

To repay a debt – and, specifically, to do so reluctantly – is to thrimble or thrumble, an English dialect word dating back to the mid sixteenth century. Thought to be derived from an earlier word, thrum, for a multitude or throng of people, on its earliest appearance in the language thrimble meant ‘to squeeze or press together’, like people standing in a dense crowd, or ‘to jostle’ or ‘to push your way through’. 

By the early seventeenth century, that meaning had broad- ened (perhaps with influence from the word thumb) to come to mean ‘to press or crush between the fingers’, and ultimately, ‘to toy or fiddle with something in your hands’. From there one last meaning developed in the late eighteenth century: according to the English Dialect Dictionary (Vol. VI, 1905), to thrimble is ‘to finger or handle anything as if reluctant to part with it’, and ultimately, ‘to dole or pay out money grudgingly or reluctantly’.

About the author:

PAUL ANTHONY JONES is something of a linguistic phenomenon. He runs @HaggardHawks Twitter feed, blog and YouTube channel, revealing daily word facts to 39,000 engaged followers. His books include Word Drops (2015) and The Accidental Dictionary (2016). His etymological contributions appear regularly, from the Guardian to the Telegraph, Buzzfeed to Huffington Post and BBC Radio 4.

He lives in Newcastle Upon Tyne and is available for all types of word-nerdery.  

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