Zounds!: A Browser's Dictionary of Interjections

Pfft! Gut Shabbes! Fiddle-dee-dee! Bully! Toy toy! Ooh la la! Let's face it, language would be a lot more boring without interjections, those odd little flourishes to emphasize whatever we're saying ("Drat! I dropped the cake!"). In "ZOUNDS!: A Browser's Dictionary of Interjections," Mark Dunn dissects the various interjections we say, and what they mean. From "aayyy" to "zzzzp!", Dunn explores various interjections from the past and present, and they're a surprisingly colourful bunch -- there's the obvious little ones like "ah," "oh," "eh," and "aaaarrruuugah," which are mainly convenient noises. But he also exxplores obscure little words ("beero!"), and ones that were used long ago or have fallen into disuse ("beauseant!"). Not to mention ones from other cultures ("Gut shabbes!"), or from movies ("Keeks!" "Nee!"). A disproportionate number seem to euphemisms for God ("Gosh all hemlock!"), or some rather impolite words ("Fudge!"). But he doesn't just tell us about these words, or what they mean. For example, it turns out that "ods bodkins" is actually a corruption of "God's bodkins" -- loosely translated, "God's little body," which was considered a very wicked phrase in Elizabethan times. Or that "slogan" is derived from an ancient Gaelic call to arms. Betcha didn't know any of that. Moreover, Dunn explains them in an easy, chatty manner, as if he were a pal imparting various linguistic trivia. And he peppers the whole book with pop culture and literary references, as well as little "skits" to emphasize what they mean ("Dear girl, you have just destroyed all my cultures of the antibacterial Penicillium notatum!" "Oops!"). Even better, some of these interjections are so rare that they can serve two purposes: first, to serve as party trivia, such as "Did you know that the word 'begorra' may be connected to vivisection?". Second, some of them would make wonderful insults that no one can reply to. "ZOUNDS!: A Browser's Dictionary of Interjections" is not only vastly entertaining, but tells us a lot about a part of language that nobody really thinks about. Imbars bidbib!

I purchased this for a friend who is a bookworm, especially funny books. This was a perfect fit. She finds it very amusing. It explains the use and origin of unique words. Good for the nerdey reader in your family.

Mark Dunn compiles a great deal of interesting tidbits, trivia, and some clever stories on his work ZOUNDS! A BROWSER'S DICTIONARY OF INTERJECTIONS. It gives the historical background to such expression as "horse feathers" "hot diggety dog" and one of my grandmother's favorite "ye gods and little fishes" just to name a sampling Overall the book contains historical tales about older interjections but also includes modern expressions such as Fred Flintstone's "Yabba Dabba Doo" and Seinfeld's "yadda-yadda-yadda." My assumption is that this book will appeal to two groups of people: trivia buffs and writers. My guess is that by reading this book, which can be enjoyable and addictive, the trivia buff reader will be able to impress a rival or two at Trivial Pursuit. The second group of people that may purchase this book would be writers hoping to find a clever phrase or expression for a character. This may not be the best idea. Anyone who has ever participated in a writing workshop knows that someone comes up with a catch phrase for a character and the others in the group cannot wait to pounce on it, but it may not be the worst tool for writers. Since Dunn gives a history of the interjections in the book, it may help a writer avoid copyrighted material. Teachers may also find the book helpful. It could be read in an English class from time to time as a way of showing how language evolves. Regardless of whether it sits on a reference shelf or if it's purchased for pleasure, the book is interesting and amusing and without a doubt it will teach the reader something new.

This review is for St. Martin's Griffin first edition, March 2005 As a writer of fiction, I purchased ZOUNDS hoping for a comprehensive dictionary of interjections used in dialogue, and I was not disappointed. In addition to the definition, many entries include anecdotal information, the origin of the interjection, and a comment on the timeframe of usage. For example, "as if" was first recorded in 1905, "score!" was popular among teenagers in the 1990's, and "hey, Abbott!" has not been used much since the 1950s. That information might save a writer of historical or near historical fiction from making an embarrassing blunder. Also quite valuable is the nine-page index at the end of the book, which provides a concise list of dialogue possibilities from aaayy to zzzzzp. For general use, I agree with Dennis Laycock's review that this is a good book for the WC. For writers of dialogue, it's a handy reference tool.