📖 Book Review ~ A Winter Dictionary: A Collection of Words for the Festive Season by Paul Anthony Jones

Elliot & Thompson
24 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

As the nights draw in and the cold descends, the winter world emerges – and with it an incredible array of words that superbly capture the season.

From frost-dogs (tiny frozen particles of falling snow) and Stepmother’s breath (a sudden cold snap) to hibernaculum (a winter refuge during the winter months) and crapulent (feeling the aftereffects of overindulgence), Paul Anthony Jones delves into the origins of these rare, fascinating and forgotten words, opening up a whole new way of describing the winter months.

Whether you’re keeping cosy in front of the fire, warding off the winter blues or throwing yourself into the party season, A Winter Dictionary is the perfect way to while away the snow-laden days.

📖 My Review..

I love words, their solid beauty and the way in which language has evolved over time. To have a winter dictionary seems like the perfect idea especially when it’s written and presented in such a lovely way. These books, by this talented wordsmith, are always beautifully presented, from the tactile nature of the beautiful book cover to the immersive, educational and downright fascinating information found within its pages. 

The contents are nicely divided into eleven clear chapters which take us from the changing seasons, through winter storms, ice and snow and further towards Christmas Day and into the snow melts of a new year. The words are well explained and placed in context, all evoke a strong sense of time and place whilst at the same time explaining the meaning of words, all perfectly appropriate, many of which I had never heard before. Some made me smile, some words, no longer in common usage, just seemed really perfect and made me wonder why we had stopped using them and then, of course, there’s the local variations, specific dialect and the gradual evolution of words and phrases which are very much part of our ancestry.

This is definitely the most perfect wintery read, it’s one of those gently fascinating sorts of books which you can just dip into and out of it at whim and by merely opening a page at random you will discover something fascinating you never knew you needed to know. 

About the Author

Paul has a Masters in Linguistics and is a language blogger from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. His obsession with words began with a child’s dictionary he received as a Christmas present when he was eight years old. As @HaggardHawks he has tweeted obscure words since 2013 and now has a social media following of over 75k, including the likes of JK Rowling, Robert Macfarlane, Susie Dent, Richard Osman, Greg Jenner, Ian McMillan, Rufus Sewell, Simon Mayo, Michael Rosen and Cerys Matthews.

HaggardHawks.com brings together the entire HH network including a blog, books, quizzes & games, the 500 Words YouTube series, Instagram gallery and newsletter. He regularly contributes to the media.

Twitter @HaggardHawks #AWinterDictionary

@eandtbooks