Description



Trade Review
"A fabulous and erudite survey of words inspired by place names. . . . Logophiles will have a ball." * Publishers Weekly, starred review *
“Do read this book in the correct order—the author has gone to great lengths to make sense of his eccentric itinerary—but be mindful of the turkey. To read it all at once would be like swallowing the globe. Don’t skip the footnotes, which are like delicious side dishes, and whatever you do, don’t Google the nasty limerick by Aubrey Beardsley about St. Rose of Lima.” -- Mary Norris * Times Literary Supplement *
"[An] entertaining look at the lexicon. . . . [Jones] proves a most capable and agreeable guide: erudite and affable, always informative and often funny, he steers us with a clear, breezy, colloquial style through 80 destinations and the 80 principal words that he traces to their names. . . . Well researched and well guided, Jones’ tour instructs and delights." * Washington Independent Review of Books *

Table of Contents
Introduction

1. London, UK Kent Street ejectment
2. Vire, France vaudeville
3. Saverne, France zabernism
4. Spa, Belgium spa
5. Neander Valley, Germany Neanderthal
6. Amsterdam, Netherlands ampster
7. Copenhagen, Denmark Great Dane
8. Oslo, Norway Oslo breakfast
9. Ytterby, Sweden yttrium
10. Helsinki, Finland Finlandisation
11. Dubna, Russia dubnium
12. Balaklava, Ukraine balaclava
13. Istanbul, Turkey turkey
14. Nicosia, Cyprus copper
15. Abdera, Greece Abderian laughter
16. Sofia, Bulgaria buggery
17. Skopje, Macedonia macédoine
18. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Balkanisation
19. Zagreb, Croatia cravat
20. Kócs, Hungary coach
21. Raków, Poland Racovian
22. Jáchymov, Czech Republic dollar
23. Kahlenbergerdorf, Austria calembour
24. Magenta, Italy magenta
25. Jura Mountains, France/Switzerland Jurassic
26. Monte Carlo, Monaco Monte Carlo fallacy
27. Porto, Portugal port
28. Jerez de la Frontera, Spain sherry
29. Gibraltar Siege of Gibraltar
30. Tangier, Morocco tangerine
31. Algiers, Algeria Algerine
32. Canary Islands canary
33. Timbuktu, Mali Timbuktu
34. Conakry, Guinea guinea
35. Brazzaville, Congo conga
36. Stellenbosch, South Africa Stellenbosch
37. Mocha, Yemen mocha
38. Cairo, Egypt fustian
39. Bethlehem, Palestine bedlam
40. Mount Nebo, Jordan Pisgah
41. Samarra, Iraq appointment in Samarra
42. Qumis, Iran Parthian
43. Bukhara, Uzbekistan buckram
44. Kabul, Afghanistan Afghanistanism
45. Deolali, India doolally
46. Colombo, Sri Lanka serendipity
47. Samut Songkhram, Thailand Siamese twins
48. Phnom Penh, Cambodia gamboge
49. Shanghai, China Shanghaiing
50. Shangdu, China Xanadu
51. Kagoshima, Japan satsuma
52. Manila, Philippines Manila paper
53. Makassar, Indonesia antimacassar
54. Tasmania, Australia vandemonianism
55. Karitane, New Zealand Karitane
56. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands bikini
57. Klondike, Canada Klondike
58. Admiralty Island, Alaska, USA hooch
59. Hollywood, California, USA Hollywood no
60. Jalap, Mexico jalapeño
61. San José, Costa Rica Panlibhonco
62. Panama City, Panama Panama hat
63. Lima, Peru Lima syndrome
64. Stanley, Falkland Islands Falklands effect
65. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil nut
66. Cayenne, French Guiana cayenne pepper
67. Daiquirí, Cuba daiquiri cocktail
68. Hamilton, Bermuda Bermuda
69. Buncombe, North Carolina, USA bunkum
70. New York, USA tuxedo
71. Toronto, Canada Toronto blessing
72. Labrador, Canada Labrador
73. Geysir, Iceland geyser
74. Limerick, Ireland limerick
75. Dublin, Ireland donnybrook
76. Glasgow, UK Glasgow magistrate
77. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Newcastle programme
78. Gotham, UK Gothamite
79. Coventry, UK send to Coventry
80. Porlock, UK person from Porlock

Epilogue
Select bibliography
Acknowledgements

Around the World in 80 Words A Journey through the English Language

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Fri 3 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback by Paul Anthony Jones

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      View other formats and editions of Around the World in 80 Words A Journey through the English Language by Paul Anthony Jones

      Publisher: University of Chicago Press
      Publication Date: 9/1/2020 12:00:00 AM
      ISBN13: 9780226682792, 978-0226682792
      ISBN10: 022668279X

      Description



      Trade Review
      "A fabulous and erudite survey of words inspired by place names. . . . Logophiles will have a ball." * Publishers Weekly, starred review *
      “Do read this book in the correct order—the author has gone to great lengths to make sense of his eccentric itinerary—but be mindful of the turkey. To read it all at once would be like swallowing the globe. Don’t skip the footnotes, which are like delicious side dishes, and whatever you do, don’t Google the nasty limerick by Aubrey Beardsley about St. Rose of Lima.” -- Mary Norris * Times Literary Supplement *
      "[An] entertaining look at the lexicon. . . . [Jones] proves a most capable and agreeable guide: erudite and affable, always informative and often funny, he steers us with a clear, breezy, colloquial style through 80 destinations and the 80 principal words that he traces to their names. . . . Well researched and well guided, Jones’ tour instructs and delights." * Washington Independent Review of Books *

      Table of Contents
      Introduction

      1. London, UK Kent Street ejectment
      2. Vire, France vaudeville
      3. Saverne, France zabernism
      4. Spa, Belgium spa
      5. Neander Valley, Germany Neanderthal
      6. Amsterdam, Netherlands ampster
      7. Copenhagen, Denmark Great Dane
      8. Oslo, Norway Oslo breakfast
      9. Ytterby, Sweden yttrium
      10. Helsinki, Finland Finlandisation
      11. Dubna, Russia dubnium
      12. Balaklava, Ukraine balaclava
      13. Istanbul, Turkey turkey
      14. Nicosia, Cyprus copper
      15. Abdera, Greece Abderian laughter
      16. Sofia, Bulgaria buggery
      17. Skopje, Macedonia macédoine
      18. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Balkanisation
      19. Zagreb, Croatia cravat
      20. Kócs, Hungary coach
      21. Raków, Poland Racovian
      22. Jáchymov, Czech Republic dollar
      23. Kahlenbergerdorf, Austria calembour
      24. Magenta, Italy magenta
      25. Jura Mountains, France/Switzerland Jurassic
      26. Monte Carlo, Monaco Monte Carlo fallacy
      27. Porto, Portugal port
      28. Jerez de la Frontera, Spain sherry
      29. Gibraltar Siege of Gibraltar
      30. Tangier, Morocco tangerine
      31. Algiers, Algeria Algerine
      32. Canary Islands canary
      33. Timbuktu, Mali Timbuktu
      34. Conakry, Guinea guinea
      35. Brazzaville, Congo conga
      36. Stellenbosch, South Africa Stellenbosch
      37. Mocha, Yemen mocha
      38. Cairo, Egypt fustian
      39. Bethlehem, Palestine bedlam
      40. Mount Nebo, Jordan Pisgah
      41. Samarra, Iraq appointment in Samarra
      42. Qumis, Iran Parthian
      43. Bukhara, Uzbekistan buckram
      44. Kabul, Afghanistan Afghanistanism
      45. Deolali, India doolally
      46. Colombo, Sri Lanka serendipity
      47. Samut Songkhram, Thailand Siamese twins
      48. Phnom Penh, Cambodia gamboge
      49. Shanghai, China Shanghaiing
      50. Shangdu, China Xanadu
      51. Kagoshima, Japan satsuma
      52. Manila, Philippines Manila paper
      53. Makassar, Indonesia antimacassar
      54. Tasmania, Australia vandemonianism
      55. Karitane, New Zealand Karitane
      56. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands bikini
      57. Klondike, Canada Klondike
      58. Admiralty Island, Alaska, USA hooch
      59. Hollywood, California, USA Hollywood no
      60. Jalap, Mexico jalapeño
      61. San José, Costa Rica Panlibhonco
      62. Panama City, Panama Panama hat
      63. Lima, Peru Lima syndrome
      64. Stanley, Falkland Islands Falklands effect
      65. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil nut
      66. Cayenne, French Guiana cayenne pepper
      67. Daiquirí, Cuba daiquiri cocktail
      68. Hamilton, Bermuda Bermuda
      69. Buncombe, North Carolina, USA bunkum
      70. New York, USA tuxedo
      71. Toronto, Canada Toronto blessing
      72. Labrador, Canada Labrador
      73. Geysir, Iceland geyser
      74. Limerick, Ireland limerick
      75. Dublin, Ireland donnybrook
      76. Glasgow, UK Glasgow magistrate
      77. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Newcastle programme
      78. Gotham, UK Gothamite
      79. Coventry, UK send to Coventry
      80. Porlock, UK person from Porlock

      Epilogue
      Select bibliography
      Acknowledgements

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