This is the perfect language gift book: a surprising or obscure word for every day of the year. Paul Anthony Jones has unearthed a wealth of wonderful and strange words: dip into this beautifully designed book to be delighted and intrigued throughout the year. Illuminating some aspect of that day, or simply informing and entertaining, each word reveals a story:

1 January: quaaltagh (n.) the first person you meet on New Year’s Day
2 January: fedifragous (adj.) promise-breaking, oath-violating

In The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities you might explore etymological origins, learn about linguistic trivia, or wonder at the web of connections within the English language. Written with humour and a light touch that belies the depth of research it contains, this is both a fascinating compendium of etymology and a delightfully entertaining miscellany.