Mark Forsyth
Goodreads Author
Born
The United Kingdom
Website
Twitter
Genre
Member Since
November 2012
URL
https://www.goodreads.com/markforsyth
Mark Forsyth hasn't written any blog posts yet.
The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
3 editions
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published
2011
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The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase
18 editions
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published
2013
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A Short History of Drunkenness
3 editions
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published
2017
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The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language
21 editions
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published
2012
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The Unknown Unknown: Bookshops and the Delight of Not Getting What You Wanted
15 editions
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published
2014
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A Christmas Cornucopia
9 editions
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published
2016
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Mark Forsyth's Gemel Edition
7 editions
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published
2012
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Mark Forsyth’s Ternion Set
6 editions
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published
2014
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The Illustrated Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
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Is Your Fifteen Minutes Up?
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published
2004
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“Poetry is much more important than the truth, and, if you don't believe that, try using the two methods to get laid.”
― The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
― The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
“John Ronald Reuel Tolkien wrote his first story aged seven. It was about a “green great dragon.” He showed it to his mother who told him that you absolutely couldn’t have a green great dragon, and that it had to be a great green one instead. Tolkien was so disheartened that he never wrote another story for years.
The reason for Tolkien’s mistake, since you ask, is that adjectives in English absolutely have to be in this order: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun. So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife. But if you mess with that word order in the slightest you’ll sound like a maniac. It’s an odd thing that every English speaker uses that list, but almost none of us could write it out. And as size comes before colour, green great dragons can’t exist.”
― The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase
The reason for Tolkien’s mistake, since you ask, is that adjectives in English absolutely have to be in this order: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun. So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife. But if you mess with that word order in the slightest you’ll sound like a maniac. It’s an odd thing that every English speaker uses that list, but almost none of us could write it out. And as size comes before colour, green great dragons can’t exist.”
― The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase
“Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it was the sausage-maker who disposed of the body.”
― The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
― The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
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