The Language-Lover's Lexipedia

You only meant to look up one word.

Now you’re investigating Elizabethan colours, collecting Scottish insults and wondering why you ever settled for a single word for rain. The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia is part encyclopaedia, part miscellany and an excellent way to lose track of an afternoon. From Abracadabra to Zyzzyva, its cross-referenced entries turn a quick browse into a pleasantly unmanageable expedition through the English language.

Discover the secrets of IKEA product names, the history of the Index of Banned Books, technobabble, unusual mealtimes and a Dictionary of Small Things. Hand-drawn illustrations accompany the linguistic detours, with each entry pointing towards another curiosity. You may not need more than a hundred words for Scottish rain. But it seems a shame to leave them there.

Details

• By Joshua Blackburn, writer, photographer and creator of the League of the Lexicon board game
• Hand-drawn illustrations by Caroline Church
• Published in 2025
• A cross-referenced collection of language facts, word origins and linguistic curiosities
• Topics include Scottish insults, Elizabethan colours, IKEA product names, technobabble and the Index of Banned Books
• Includes more than 100 words for Scottish rain and a Dictionary of Small Things

Perfect for

• Word lovers whose dictionary searches rarely end at the intended entry
• Quiz devotees building a formidable reserve of wonderfully obscure facts
• Curious readers who consider a well-chosen insult a small linguistic achievement