Mark Forsyth 3 Book Set The Etymologicon, The Elements of Eloquence & Horologicon

This three-book set brings together Mark Forsyth’s explorations of English, from word origins to unusual vocabulary and rhetorical technique. It includes The Etymologicon, The Horologicon and The Elements of Eloquence, presented as a collection for readers interested in how language works and how it can be used.

The Etymologicon traces unexpected links between words and ideas, drawing on Forsyth’s Inky Fool blog and moving through a wide range of examples, from “disgruntled” and “gruntled” to connections involving church organs, organised crime, California and the Caliphate. The Horologicon gathers striking English words and arranges them by the hour of the day when they might be most useful, from waking up “philogrobolized” to becoming a “deipnosophist” by dinner.

Included titles

• The Etymologicon
• The Elements of Eloquence
• The Horologicon

Key details

• Three-book set by Mark Forsyth
• Includes The Etymologicon, The Elements of Eloquence and The Horologicon
• The Etymologicon is based on the author’s Inky Fool blog
• The Horologicon organises words by the hour of the day

Synopses

The Etymologicon

A guided tour of surprising connections within English, asking how apparently unrelated words and ideas are linked. Drawing on Mark Forsyth’s Inky Fool blog, it ranges across examples involving monks and monkeys, film buffs and buffaloes, and even explains what the Rolling Stones have to do with gardening.

The Horologicon

A “book of hours” for language, collecting unusual English words and arranging them by the time of day when they fit best. It offers terms for familiar situations, from feeling rough in the morning to post-lunch sleepiness, and includes words such as ante-jentacular, quafftide and snudge.