The Language-Lover's Lexipedia: An AZ of Linguistic Curiosities
By (Author) Joshua Blackburn
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
2nd December 2025
25th September 2025
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Hardback
240
Width 129mm, Height 198mm
FROM THE INVENTOR OF THE LEAGUE OF THE LEXICON BOARDGAME THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ALL WHO LOVE WORDS AND LANGUAGE.
Want to uncover the secret of Ikea product names Learn the art of Scottish insults Or understand why pedants are pedantic Here you will find all this and more.
Part encyclopaedia, part miscellany, The Language-Lovers Lexipedia is a delightful tour of the world of words, from the origin of Abracadabra to Zyzzyva and the end of the dictionary. Meticulously researched, witfully written and beautifully designed with hand-drawn illustrations by Caroline Church, each page is a lucky dip into the English language.
The Language-Lovers Lexipedia is catnip for curious minds. Inside, youll find Scottish Insults (youre talking mince), Elizabethan Colours (like Apes Laugh and Lustie Gallant), the dangerous history of the Index of Banned Books, unusual mealtimes, Technobabble and over a hundred words for Scottish rain. Theres even a Dictionary of Small Things. Each entry points to other entries, so after exploring one rabbit hole theres always another to get lost in. See where they lead you.
This deliciously original book takes readers around the sidelines and leylines of language. You will be sure to come away armed with an arsenal of linguistic knowledge to impress and entertain in all sorts of useful and not so useful situations.
Joshua Blackburn is a writer, photographer and Maker of Things. He is the inventor of League of the Lexicon, the most successful word game in Kickstarter history and Waterstones Game of the Month. As the games Question-Writer-in-Chief, Joshua has become an accidental linguist, appearing on The Allusionist, Because Language, The Failing Writers Podcast and Butter No Parsnips. He also created the League of the Lexicon quiz trail for both the Hay Festival and Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2024.