Mrs Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0806504986 ISBN 13: 9780806504988

Publisher: Citadel, 1960

Defines little-known English words that have been accepted by major dictionaries

Review:

First it must be known that all 6000 weird words lovingly compiled by Mrs. Byrne are "real" English words, legitimized by at least one major dictionary. That said, the inclusions are delightfully ludicrous, unfailingly obscure and often sadly missing from common parlance. The English language seems the poorer without "furfuraceous" (covered with dandruff), "omphaloskepsis" (meditation while gazing at one's navel) or "blabagogy" (a criminal environment). It's the most addictively interesting dictionary imaginable.