Review: 'Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds' by Jess Zafarris

Sometimes, I'll accidentally think too much about a single word, at which point it loses all shape, form, and meaning to me. If we really think about it, why is a chair a chair? What do those five letters, taken together, truly say about the object?! Would it help, knowing "chair" came from the Latin "cathedra"? Maybe not, but it is interesting and might calm the brain down. In Useless Etymology you'll find countless of interesting little tidbits about English! Thanks to John Murray Press and NetGalley for providing me with  a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 09/10/2025
Publisher: John Murray Press

Let's be real: English can seem pretty bonkers. And, well, sometimes it is. But through thorough thought and a pinch of curiosity, method can be found within the madness of our modern tongue-even within the disparate pronunciation of the words "through," "thorough," and "thought."
Derived from Germanic, Romance, Hellenic, Semitic, African and Native American languages, English contains multitudes. It has been (and continues to be) transformed by war and conquest, art and literature, science and technology, love and hate, wit and whim.

Useless Etymology takes readers on a time-traveling adventure to unlock the beauty, wonder, and absurdity within our everyday words, how they came to be, and the unexpected ways their origins weave a global, cross-cultural labyrinth of meaning.
Filled with fun facts and delightful discoveries, this is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to know more about why the English language works the way that it does.

I adore etymology. I think it's super fun to trace how words developed, how their meaning changed, and how we come up with new words for new things. There is also something empowering about knowing the words you use, especially in this day and age. It is so easy, nowadays, to come across information that is, either accidentally or purposefully, incorrect and by learning what the words being used actually mean, you can begin to decipher that information for yourself. I'm not saying everyone needs to walk around with a dictionary, but one should be able to critically assess what you are told. Etymology helps with that. Despite the title including the word "useless", Useless Etymology is actually very useful in tracing how some English words came to be, how the language was influenced by various other ones, and how language in and of itself is a playful, flexible thing.

In Useless Etymology, Jess Zafarris works her way through  various etymological aspects of the English language. What I really enjoyed about this book, was that Zafarris both shared fun little histories to various words and also imparted useful knowledge about how language works. The first part, 'The Oddities of English Etymology' questions folk etymology, for example, and traces aspects of Old English grammar in Present Day English. Part 2, 'Twists and Turns: Surprise and Delight in the Origins of Everyday Words' was really fun to me because it also looked at the origins of literary terms like metaphor or irony, but also where the English words for colours come from. This part shows really nicely how culture and language influence one another and how understanding a language helps to understand the people that speak it. The final part, 'Whimsy and Wonder: Humor, Play, and Passion through Enchanting Etymology' is a fun closer in which she looks at funny words, long words and games that involve language. Overall, Zafarris covers a nice range of themes, allowing for a broad range of words as well, and strikes a good balance between the fun and the informative.

Jess Zafarris has been engaging with etymology for a while, through her blog (Useless Etymology) and podcast (Words Unravelled with Rob Watts). In many ways, then, I think the book is a sort of culmination of that work and Zafarris' experience really shines through. The tone of her writing is very approachable and friendly, making plenty of jokes about herself and others, all tongue-in-cheek but never rude. She has also found a good tone for herself when it comes to imparting the more educational side of the information, which should make Useless Etymology a good read for those with less knowledge about language and etymology. For me, I would have loved a more detailed deep-dive into the linguistic side of things. Sometimes, for example, Zafarris would mention that the root of the word came from Ancient Greek, without giving the word itself, which I thought was a shame. I will also say that, while for me the structure of the book was fine, it might be a little hopscotch or random for those looking for a more detailed introduction to etymology. The individual chapters don't necessarily connect super well to one another, so this is book is probably less of a continuous read, and more something you pop in and out. There were still a number of editing/proofreading errors in my ARC, but I assume these will have been picked up on for the published copy. All in all, Useless Etymology is an excellent coffee table book and will give you delightful little insights into the words you use everyday.

I give this book...

3 Universes!

Useless Etymology does exactly what it says on the tin and is a fun read. It is a little unstructured here and there, but as a book to occasionally look in to or get a good laugh from, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.