Product Description

'Words are not only tools; they are also weapons' The secret to being a truly Superior Person is to use really superior words. More impressive than a top hat, much more effective than a fist-fight, here are five hundred words to help you wiggle out of sticky debates, deal with obnoxious dinner guests and fill in sick leave application forms with panache. Impress your friends, amaze your colleagues and baffle your enemies with this witty, charming, and clever little book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28672 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The avowed purpose of this witty little book is to equip the reader to be the superior person of the title by expanding the vocabulary of the rare and arcane ("Secret, hidden. An excellent example of a Superior Word of the first order, ie, one that is on the margin of recognition for most people, is known to many, but used by few."). You can then indulge in the arts of parisology ("The deliberate pursuit of ambiguity in one's language") or charientism ("An elegantly veiled insult"), using terms such as fungible ("Replaceable by, or acceptable as a replacement for, a similar item ... Your sister's latest boyfriend could be referred to as 'one of Belinda's fungibles."). Or challenge the pretentious who insist on using terms such as matrix, parameter or paradigm ("Model, pattern, or example. A pretentious and unnecessary word, normally found only in psychology theses. Never use this word yourself, but be prepared, when it is used by another, to lean forward intently, narrow your eyes, and say, 'Just a moment--do you really mean "paradigm" in that context?' When, somewhat bemused, he avers that he does, you merely raise your eyebrows and remain silent..."). You will also have a remarkable collection of words for minor but serious-sounding illnesses to get you out of doing chores, and be able to drive Scrabble players wild with words ranging from aeaeae ("magic") to zaftig ("desirably plump").

A nicely produced hardback, just the right size for dipping into in bed, this would make an excellent present for your favourite word-lover or word-game fanatic. --Julia Cresswell

About the Author
Peter Bowler has to his name several published books, most of which are, as the French say, introuvable, lending them an intrinsic attraction for those who cultivate the unattainable. He lives with his patient and beautiful wife Diana in an idyllic sub-tropical coastal town, and hopes one day to rule the world.

Excerpted from The Superior Person's Book of Words by Peter Bowler. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
APROSEXIA n. Inability to concentrate. Not, as might incautiously be assumed, apres-sex activities. Useful when completing the "nature of illness2 section on your sick-leave application form.

BOONDOGGLE v. or n. To carry out valueless or extremly trivial work in order to convey the impression that one is busy. Work so carried out. A necessary technique for military circles, where the classic form is the day-long carrying around of a rubbish bin while the remainder of your platoon are out on maneuvers. On being questioned by officer, a smart "Rubbish detail, Sir!" satisfies the inquirer.

Customer Reviews

A pleasurable diversion
This book is engaging, witty and light-hearted – a satisfying (and time-saving) trifle for anyone who enjoys idly flicking through dictionaries in search of interesting and unusual words. Those like the previous reviewer yearning for ‘lexical superiority’ might be advised to look elsewhere. Indeed, given the array of errors of grammar, spelling and word-usage he displays – to say nothing of the absurd verbosity – it is a quest in which he should be earnestly encouraged. But it is entertaining, anyway, to read this ‘dedicated philologist’s denunciation of anachronism rapidly followed by his bewildering misuse of the (very) archaic verb ‘prepend’. The pot calling the kettle nigrous?

Fantastic book
This book makes very entertaining and informative reading. It is particularly useful for creating veiled insults for the typical "middle management types" who seem to enjoy such abysmal phases as "blue sky thinking" and use words such as paradigm completely out of context. The descriptions given for each word are both funny and interesting. I have given a few copies out to my friends and they've also found it very entertaining.

This is a great book
This book is fantastic. It contains a large number of words that are no longer in mainstream usage. Many words are those that were popular several centuries ago. The book is therefore useful on two fronts. Firstly it can help you understand some words used in old books and documents, secondly - you can make use of many of the words to totally confuse people or, if you prefer, insult them without them even knowing.