Robin Devoe
Description
Dictionary of the Strange, Epic, and Beautiful is a compilation of three previous dictionaries:
Dictionary of the Strange, Curious, and Lovely;
Epic E
...
nglish Words; and
Dictionary of the Rare, Creative, and Beautiful
Part dictionary and part carefully curated encyclopedia, this book offers a window into the breadth and depth of human experience and imagination, showcasing words with unique histories and meaning, or beauty of sound or appearance; other words are esoteric and deep – or strange and fascinating.
Some categories of words, names, and terms are:
Placenames (Pillars of Hercules, Arabia Felix, Doon Edin, Mare Tenebrosum & Riphean Mountains);
Zoology (quill pig, pink fairy armadillo & frantling);
Astronomy (Eddington luminosity, Venusian, Silurian hypothesis, Jovian trojans & Kreutz sungrazers);
Geopolitics (Perfidious Albion & Baltoscandia);
History (Sahelian kingdoms, sunlit uplands &Groom of the Stool);
Geometry (Penrose stairs & Villarceau circles);
Anatomy (brain sand & frenulum);
Archeology (OldenburgHorn& Nebra sky disc).
Plus nautical, poetic, and literary terms like:
brave west winds & naufragous; person from Porlock & the cavalier poets; the Lost Generation &Erewhonian.
Also select slang words, such as: tactical chunder, snoutfair, molly wop,ghostshipping &grundle.
And interesting phrases like: bring owls to Athens;et in Arcadia ego; happy as a box of birds; dolce far niente; and up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire.
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